Point of VUE
by mamabot
Summary: {Moved from One Shots} Shockwave is the axis for which OCs View and Sprinter's lives revolve. Takes place post war with flashbacks to their Decepticon days. Takes place in NightStalker13's universe (with permission) and then canted sideways (with permission) Warnings? Theology. PG13 for fantasies. Major fluff and sweetness and two special POV from Cannon. Cameos by Cole and..
1. Crushing Waves of Shock

Shockwave's Admirer

**a/n This is not Mamabot talking, alright. Just so we have the ground rules. This was an experiment in first person writing that... well took off like a rocket. It's thanks to my encouragers: Whatayamacholit, NightStalker13, Amethyst and a secret friend DoubleD any my husband... If you caught this in my _One Shots_ I pulled it from that file and put it here in it's own file. It's blown that big to no longer being a one shot. So here we go, enjoy.**

Do you remember your first crush? Do you remember what it felt like? Remember the blasting pulse from your spark where you thought it would bleed out your audio receptors? Like you thought you would be sick when he looked your way even if he wasn't really looking at you? The nervous fluttering in your gut? Do you remember the heat from your own face? And when you heard his voice, oh Primus you thought you would melt into a pool of goop right there no matter how far across the field he was? Remember all that?

Now, fast forward to the end of the war and establishing yourself in the new world order. That's where I am right now on my new route. Sitting in my delivery vehicle for Cyber-Ex, driver's window beside me is near level. I Oh Primus… you are evil… He's not really here, is he?!/I

The light changes, and the vehicle pulls off to the left while I go straight.

There is no way on this planet he is here in Kaon. No, he would be up in Iacon or New Crystal City even Tarn or Vos not down here in the ex-gladiator & mining community. No he would be up with the lead scientists doing incredible new amazing things with that high speed processor of his. Not down here with us grunts.

And now, my mind decides to roll back to those days… how cruel Primus can be sometimes.

_**** flashback****_

_My brothers and I were raised in the slum areas of Kaon with out parents. They loved us, but life was harsh and cruel in this community. Medical care was not like it was in the elite or even mid-caste life. Death by infection or toxins was not uncommon. Easily we became orphans and clung together. I was the middle sparkling, smack dab between protective elder brother and caretaker for the younger. When word spread of the Decepticon uprising, it was no contest. We joined as soon as we found the right bot to lead us to the induction area. My sickly little brother died en route. It's alright, he never would have been accepted anyways: runt. He did not perish at the hands of some stuck up elitist's hand either. Girding emotions, we trudged on. Together._

_As it was, I had to lie about my age, and took quite a bit to convince them that I was no sickly runt nor was I a minibot. Luckily, speed and grace was on my side. Even my brother was yelling at me when they dropped me outside the door and told me to get lost. I skirted the first hurdle's legs, slid under the passing big bot named Motormaster and cut myself to fourth in line. Barricade laughed so hard watching the frustration on the huge convoy-bot._

_And then… I saw **him**. Ohhhh Primus…. My spark got stuck in my throat when I heard him smoothly order, "Order in the ranks! Your Lord is on deck!"_

_Everyone (inductees, new recruits, and soldiers) all snapped to straight and firm form. I did my best to look as professional as possible. Like I had every reason to be among them. But Primus … no one warned me that there would be handsome mechs like this among the ranks to crumple your thought process. And yet there was the most incredible mech I had ever seen in my life. Stole my logic circuit's the moment I laid optics on that bulking form of pure commanding mechliness. Oh crap, could I smell his power in that air too?_

_I loved my father dearly. He was strong, honorable, and protective. And not afraid to let us know he loved us. Those were attributes I hoped to find one day in a mate someday. No one warned me there were sexy mechs like this before me in existence. Virile. Bold. Exuding mechliness with every vent. Absolute sweetness to the optic. Oh. My. Word… what is that heating feeling in my lower gut?_

_Those broad shoulders that held upright and strong bearing all their duty and honor with pride and dignity. Sigil glistening in the harsh light. The trim waist and … oh Primus the hips, (I quickly check to see if I'm drooling), those powerfully strong thighs and each pede step is sure and assertive. A pounding into my spark chamber changing it's tempo. Not a drop of arrogance. Not a hint of wavering. Pure rich confidence._

_Like the thump of a bass drum, each step hammered into everyone's helm to be strong. Straight and assertive gaze looked us all over in one swipe. The rapid processor quickly accessed us, categorized and placed us. He instantly knew all our strengths and weaknesses without even asking a question._

_My spark was trembling. Would he find me worthy? Would he see me as anything useful to the cause? Or would he see right through me and all these stupid rising schoolbot thoughts? Oh Primus please don't let him see me mooning over his luscious form._

_"My Lord," he turns to the taller silver mech beside him with the piercing vermillion optics. How could I have missed the larger more imposing figure?! Primus I **am** an idiot!_

_"I see some in here that will be useful in our next course of action."_

_The ebony palm uncurls his fingers flaying them to his Military Operations Commander, "The new recruits are your duty, Shockwave. Do not fail me."_

_The royal helm dips to his leader, while crossing the arm over the chest in homage, "Never, my Lord." The accented tone is not in cowardness. Oh no! That word would NEVER describe this mech. No, that reply is a only confirmation to the order he just received._

_It was then, that I knew I was in deep trouble. I saw his back. His strong and powerful, chord coming from the shoulder blade to connect to the cannon where he had lost a hand. I could not pity him, for that would surely have been the death of me. No, just another sign of his strength and fortitude: perseverance in the mist of adversity._

_Once our leader left with Motormaster, Barricade and a couple others; my saint and curse turned back to me. -I mean us! With a careful flick of his lilac finger, ten bots were quickly yanked from the line and gestured to the side doorway. I never saw them again. Six more were pointed to another door. Shots rang out instantly. My spine may have shuddered, but the rest of me managed to stay stock still._

_The rest of us were broken up into three groups of twenty. These would be our training units. I was separated from my elder brother, but he only winked to me in passing through out the course of our training. I think it probably for the best as well. Time for us to be strong on our own._

_If it hadn't been for some of the others paying attention during instructions and me being swift enough to follow them, I would have been dead. For every time he gave us instructions to a drill… my processor began to strip him bare and run those gauntlets with him buck naked. The voice, oh Primus the voice… Primus I must have been an idiot with a one track mind! In his presence I constantly had to remind myself why I was here. He was not a factor, only a hindrance._

_Damn! those gauntlets were the worst. When he would run with us. Oh Lord Megatron! At times I tried to impress my commander and stay up with him. Other times I dragged just a few steps behind so I could watch him in full motion. Swift firm strides, muscled cable, slightest glide of movement without a hint of fatigue or injury while I was fighting and waning._

_Those nights were the worst. Bunking with ten other femmes and feeling yourself internally writhing for the deadly drill leader's gaze of attention. Insane._

_One night I heard them all talking about which mechs they had the hots for. A couple mentioned him, but quickly dismissed him for the lack of face or for the droid attributes. Or stoic stick-up-the-aft attitude. A few rumors flew around too. Several of the femmes had snuck off for private time with certain mechs. Not me! Some femmes and mechs were found executed or severally punished for being out of quarters unauthorized and frag'n each other senseless. Some were even in love…_

_"Rest is required for healthy soldiers," logically our drop dead gorgeous drill leader had reminded us. "Healthy soldiers will serve our cause. Medicine is in short supply, it is your duty to keep yourself healthy and well. See to it. Do not make me your sparkling sitter or parent! If you want that; there is the door! I'm sure the Autobots will take you in." Everyone knew, there was no option for defection. (Not that I would want to and loose this!) You were killed before you had a chance to take any information to the other side. Seen it. Understood it. Feared betraying this mech- I mean Lord Megatron. Crap._

***return***

Bringing my optics back to the road before me, I make my first few deliveries of the day. Still, I can't shake the jittering my spark took from thinking I saw bhim /b again and long dead memories of watching the our powerfully focused drill instructor in action.

He wasn't training us just to be a cruel hard aft… no, he cared in his own supervising way. We were not just machines in a cog of the Decepticon faction (like some commanders saw us; looking down their noses no different so many of the Iacon elitists had!) No! I read between those sharp firm orders and skill drills. It was to make us independent and vital soldiers. He wanted us to survive our first and second battles. He wanted us to be strong in spirit and body alike. That was what I most admired. That was exactly what I wanted to be. I wanted him to know he succeeded in training me to be strong and worthy to be within these ranks. I wanted him to know I would not fail.

Taking a deep vent, I pull my back up strong again and pick up one of my heaviest packages. Even in this job I am constantly proving myself. Thanks to my violet-instructor, it doesn't bother me. I don't give a damn when these boisterous mechs look at my small lithe frame and start sniggering. Fine, think you are all macho and better than I just because your body is larger and your overload equipment is external… {groan} I shift the second package to my other arm and head into the school, proud and confident in my abilities.

Just as I reach the door, someone from inside pushes it open for me. With the box on my shoulder blocking my view of the considerate bot, I just announce my gratitude.

"You're welcome," comes back as they brush past me in their exit. Oh now I know I'm stuck in the past. I could have sworn I heard that rare toned accent of my elicit dreams. It is not common here in Kaon. Tarn, maybe, but not here. Shaking my head, I continue towards to the secretary and get the heavy packages signed for.

Heading back to my delivery vehicle, I could swear I just saw that rare helm of vibrant violet with snow white perky antenna disappear into that same vehicle at the intersection. Again? Shaking my head again, I know I'm going to need a stiff drink when I get home. Hopefully it isn't PTS trying to ebb it's way into my life this way. Primus wouldn't be THAT cruel, would he?

Try as I might, I just can shake the flashbacks as I continue down to my next stop. Think Tank of scientists, great… nothing like another vivid memory to mess with me:

_****flash****_

_iOn a rare change aboard Nemesis, I was ordered to deliver several crates to the lab sector. Pushing the heavy cart, I ping the door controls._

_"Yes?"_

_Oh crap, my drill instructor is here? He asks again. Choking, I find my voice, "Supplies, Sir. I was ordered to bring these crates up."_

_The door opens and I enter. His optic is actually surprised to see me. Well, maybe a light and scrawny thing like me pushing this cart, not me per-say. He starts to step away from the planning table when Starscream snaps at me, "Over there, in the corner and begone, femme."_

_Turning my gaze away from the table of scientists and silently I do as I am told. The four of them are deep in conversation to the ideas for a new pulse weapon for some of our bunkers. I knew enough to keep my mouth shut. I do steel a couple glances to the table and see my drill instructor quite relaxed hunkered over the table pointing a describing flaws or improvements to the plan. He looks so at home talking about science. I warms me to see him happy. Now I understand a little better:_

_Commanding the trainees is his duty and he will do it to his fullest capacity. But science is where his spark lies. This is what brings his antenna to a full state of rest and relaxation to his heavy shoulders even if it is with that arrogant SOB of and SIC. Science makes my spark-flame happy. I smile for his happiness. He lift his helm as I head out. I am graces with a curious nod of gratitude. I silently salute him and leave._

_It was a few solar cycles later that I passed him in the hall with **her** . Jealous does not even scratch the surface of what I was feeling. But what can I say? He looks so happy leaning on her and laughing together. (Obviously they are both a little tipsy.) I wish I was the one who could make him laugh like that. I sigh in defeat once again remembering, he is a Commander.. Off limits… My spark feels like it just got crushed beneath both sets of passing pedes. Enlisted grunt…, I drag myself away from the sight of that retreating strong form with his arm lightly around another._

_Always stoic, firm, focus driven mech. In charge of his emotions keeping them at bay from everyone. No need for them to play a part in duty. I try to follow that example, because he is right. It is our duty to serve and win not to feel while we fight. My feelings have no right to be here. I am a soldier! I am here to serve! And I will! Begone elicit fantasies!_

_But what would I give for just one moment in time to make him release his emotions on me? One moment where I can be the one to make those silky soft antenna fall. One moment in time and make that optic dim in delightful sublime towards me. One second to make that accent slip to a seductive whisper in my …._

***return***

Screeching tires and then the bbam /b of the crashing vehicles and a bunch of smoke and crying & screaming. For me, nothing. Not a scratch on me or my truck! But I was still stuck, boxed in by destruction. I grab the comm and swiftly text in that I'm stranded on the main route surrounded by idiots and carnage. My next deliveries will be late; start the claims paperwork now. Great, another memory while I wait for the wreckers to clear the road. {snort} Wreckers!

_****flash****_

_Damned Autobot Wreckers! Primus we were advancing and they just had to think they were better than us! Well frag that!_

_After getting through training, I was given my duty assignment: Runner. Light on my pede, lithe enough to slip through tight spots, graceful enough not to be clumsy, and most of all (unbeknownst to them all!) I wanted my instructor to see another of his students come home safe. I did not want him to feel all his training had been in vain._

_So here I am dashing from one bunker or foxhole to the next running resupplies. Those damned Wreckers figured out I was their next target. Already they had taken out my partner. But like Pit were they going to get me! My team needed me and I was their safety line. I had to bring them home safe too, in my own way. Commander had made it clear, no one was insignificant. We all mattered, we all counted. That includes ME! I pick up the pace!_

_Swallowing the dirt clod blown into my mouth, I bolted to my next point just to have name bellowed across the battlefield and then that bk-twong b/ resonating sound of my savior's seismic cannon. The pulse blast crackled across my shoulders and hit the embankment just past me. It had been so long since I'd heard the sound that now the thunderous second volley was a gong's crack rumbling a rippling through the air assaulting my audio receptors. Steeling a glance, my spark was blasted by the sight of his solid magnificent form turned magenta in the firefight. Standing angry and violent with his cannon leveled in my direction but I knew, was aiming behind me. Another blast from my savior and I continued to move towards my duty station._

_His cannon made it's hit. Unfortunately, it also brought the victim my direction with his reinforcements right behind. I kept running. They shot the ground out from in front of me. They knew I was the bane of this fight! They new if I got my next unit resupplied, they were going down. They new I was the cog in the supply chain they HAD to stop. With everything riding on me, I knew I could not stop. I could not fail. How could I with that deep dark sunset colored mech covering my back? I ran for all I was worth. Each stride was bringing me closer and closer to my comrades. I. Would. Not. Fail…. HIM!_

_It happened too fast. The ground before me exploded. The supplies on my back flew over my head. Autobot pedes were thundering down upon me followed by deadly Decepticon ones. I would not let them get their dirty claws on Decepticon property! LIKE PIT! The seismic thunder ripped through the air once more a whole lot closer. To my shock, it pushed my cache aside. Why would he-!_

_** BOOOOOMB** crackling sizzling noise of incendiary missiles and then I was crushed to the ground. I couldn't move. Literally, I was being pushed deeper into the softening ground. Stunned, it took me a moment to figure out what was on top of me._

_It groaned a deep mechly moan of disgust mixed with indescribable pain. But it would not detour him from his task either. As much as I could, I could see my resupplies were still in one piece and that stinking Wrecker was headed towards them with a rather smug look on his face._

_The weight on my back growled, "Apologies," I knew it was directed towards me not the enemy in the rising cannon's sights. I managed to get my hand over one audio receptor before that seismic-gong went off again right next to my helm. How could he not be deaf by now? And damn! now I know what those femme commanders were saying about a sexy weapon. Crap, the resonance from that thing on laying shoulders and neck with his warm body -make that battle sweaty hot chassis- squashing me into the ground was enough to make this young thing have her first rippling overload. Right here on the battle field with her Commander sacrificing his body as her shield. This is ridiculously INSANE!_

_A dead Wrecker is blow as wide as ampho under a bulldozer, obliterating my resupplies with it._

***return***

Law enforcement sirens bring me around and motion me to move. Back on the move, the road had been cleared enough to get the rest of us through. To my sorrow, I can see a fellow delivery driver (different company but still a delivery grunt like me) in the heart of the carnage. I give him a wave feeling a bit sorry for him, but I keep moving as he lifts a hand back with a shared smile of disgust. His cache is a smoldering wreckage of scrap.

Six stops later and I can stop for lunch. The garden outside the hospital has always been calming to me. Luckily, this new route brings me past it just like my last one did.

But some how, this time, I just can NOT shake these flash back images.

Chewing on a stale biscuit and a flat drink, my elicit memory just will NOT let this go. I mean, come on the war has been over for how long and now all this comes flooding back? I've dated since the war, but no I haven't bonded. And no it's not because I've pined away for him. Good grief, I'm not THAT pathetic. Please, give me some credit as a femme Deception soldier.

Turning to the door I begin to wonder if I should have a CAT Scan just to see if there's a golden optic and snow white antenna stuck in there and I should have them surgically removed. And my biscuit rolls out of my hand to said antenna coming into view.

Oh Primus, you are a horrid celestial being. Nooooo, not now. That strong back, those pert antenna, those proud shoulders held firm and straight, the softest roll of the hips. That commanding yet respectful stride as he passes others. Oh, my Primus... that mech... he can't be real. Here?!

Closing off my optics, I drop my face into my palms. I can see it all over again. I can still taste the acidic smoke in the air, the ringing in my audio, the crushing sexy weight against my hips, my back... oh Primus I'm going to be sick...

_****flashback****_

_i I was a jumble of emotions. What could I say? He just saved my life. On top of that, my dignity. He did not allow our supplies to fall into enemy hands and took out an enemy in the process._

_"I'm sorry...," my muffled apology tries not to sound like a wimpy femme cry, "Commander."_

_A short grunted reply is all I get, "Supplies expendable; reliable soldiers not so much." Ever the logical one, I could only nod. He tries to rise by pushing his remaining hand to the ground beside my face, but it shakes violently and I am crushed back down again. "Apologies," his dignity moans. And then he hisses in fury. Apparently he has accessed the problem and found it._

_I try to ease his disgust, "It's my fault, Sir. I should have been at my post sooner."_

_He ceases his struggle and I think for the first time, acknowledges me as an individual. "Shh. No time for that now. Oh... fuuuck..." His helm lifts and then goes limp against my own. The whole body looses it's tension. Like a great limp doll across my frame._

_"Sir?" I nudge him but I all I get back is a grunt. Then I try the illegal, "Shockwave?"_

_Nothing. So I try one more thing. His face is right there in the back of my neck. I can feel that hypersensitive sensor right were a lover would nudge in a tender moment. I'm in utter agony here. I have him right where I always wanted him, but now I could be losing him!_

_Please of Primus, please don't let him die because of me. I reach one hand to touch my comm, "Medic! Commander down! I say again, Commander Shockwave is down! You must hurry!"_

_I hear my beloved's whisper as a static reply comes across as well, "Phosphorous charges…"_

_"What's your position?"_

_Phosphorous charges? My position?! Oh Primus, I know what that sound is now! It isn't static, it's charges burning a hole through his armor into his protoform. And there they will lie until the medic tries to pull them out. Once they hit the oxygen fresh room, everyone will be dead: victim, medical team, bunker. Oh this is not good. And all my fault…._

_Quickly I send my location to the duty officer. Then to my savior, "I'm sorry, sir…," I commit the unpardonable sin, I take his hand pulling it to my lips and kiss it, and clutch it tight. I can taste this moment in time. I haven't a prayer of getting out from under his great incapacitated form, and nor do I want to. I would rather die here with him, than to know he died and I lived. I tuck the hand protectively to my form and pray harder again._

_He moans trying to shift in agony at the mini-charges burying further in. Reaching my other hand back to his helm, I touch it. I meant to touch a cheek, but what I found was a firm but silky soft antenna, limp and weak. I carefully wrap my thin fingers around the highly sensitive appendage and caress. He mewls out a new tone, one I will never forget… my stolen sweet gift of time. Afraid, I stop. He whimpers. Oh… my…. Starting again, he relaxes even further so I have a limp blanket of a never-to-be-lover across my back. I continue to stoke my comfort and support to him. Clutching his hand in one of mine next to my lips, and soothing his helm with the other, I try to keep him alive until help arrives. Only then do I retreat my hands to a respectable position._

_Both of us are rushed to the med bay together once they listen to what I said about the phosphorous charges. Now the armory sergeant and the medical officer are in argument as to what to do. Luckily one of the peon half-droid nurses looks at me while crimping off the leaks of my nearly blown off leg with a tourniquet._

_He grabs my shoulders and points, "That is a vacuum chamber. We can suck out all the oxygen and that will stave off the reaction of the charges. But, we still have to get them out of his body. I can't fit in there. You can."_

_My jaw drops when I look at the size of that chamber. It's going to be tight and close meant only for one sleeping standard bot. He gives me no choice. While I stare, he gathers tools and an air tight box. Then he shoves the box into my hands picks me up. "Here." Quickly he gives me instructions while carrying me over to the Military Operations Commander's prone form smoldering form._

_He plunks me down onto the injured mech's berth. Shooting another inhibitor into the strong warrior's neck, he grabs my chin and nails me with his gaze, "You be as strong as him. And you do not waiver! You do not fold! You do not give into fear or inadequacy. Do you hear me?" I gape. "His life is in your hands. Now go."_

_In other words, this lowly med-droid gave this fellow subordinate an order to save one of his own. I nod and he wheels the berth to the chamber. Swiftly he slices the cable to Shockwave's cannon and removes the seismic weapon. There I see the smooth amputate limb hang off the edge. My head is shoved against the burning back and before I can hear the rest of the protests of the rest of the staff, the chamber door hisses shut sealing me in with my crush._

_Now past the ring of the circular door frame, I can rise up to a sitting position. First I get myself situated. Settling astride his hips, I find them narrower than I anticipated. He grunts but nothing more. I can see where a couple charges have bored into the base of his neck, probably what knocked up out on the field. Curling back, I settle the box behind me between his solid thighs. He winces, but I have no time. I hear the tap on the door letting me know I can proceed to removing the charges: oxygen being cleared._

_Twisting back, I ignore the throbbing in my own limb sure to be amputate. The strong and punctured back before me now has my full focus. I find the catches, but the armor will not fully release. There, I can see it. Charges have burned and melted piece of the catches. Turning back to my tools, I see I have snips and pliers._

_"Forgive me commander," I begin to cut into the reinforced armor. Luckily I'm used to carrying heavy packages. With two hands I push and curl the armor back. It seems to take forever, but finally, I have enough room to work._

_At least twelve of these wicked aft mini but deadly charges have burned completely through the outer armor and are now bored into his protoform. Some even beneath the skin. I have to be sure to get them all. One left in charge could still kill or very seriously maim the mech beneath me. Like hell will I let that happen!_

_Using the pliers, I very carefully pull out a charge and drop them into the box behind me. The mech beneath me doesn't move, thanks the inhibitor. My hands splay and slowly move over his pristine form. He has never been injured before. His prefect body has been forever marred for saving my life. I find another and pull it loose, swiping a tear with my wrist._

_"Hang in there, you can do this," I hear the soothing voice of the droid-mech outside through the com. Nodding I dive back into my task, pushing past my emotional and physical pain._

_I must have been in there for an hour running my hands over and over his bleeding back being ever so careful to make sure I get everyone. Over and over again, I run my hands along his strong frame smooth. It feels so good to have his warm frame beneath me. I can pay him back for all he has done to train me to live and protect myself._

_Sealing the box, I can feel myself beginning to waiver from my own loss of energon. If I left one in, I do not want all the others in this box going off. Once more, I graze his still form with my small palms, this time for me. His helm moves and for a moment, I swore I could see a glimmer of pleasure on his face. I steel a pleasure of my own. I lean over his solid form allowing my own cheek to rest between those precious shoulder blades. Curling my hand around his lower antenna, I soothe._

_"I'm here for you, Shockwave…. Forever… I shall not ever fail you. I will never let you go."_

_As it is my turn to fall draped over his back in my weakness, my remaining hand reaches up to curl around the ball of his bare shoulder. Parting my lips, I steal a taste of his battered skin. Sweeter than I ever expected. Tears slip, a kiss I shall never have, a touch I will never have again, and the warmth of his fevered body steams mine as I fall deeper into this abyss. The pulse of his strong spark I can feel thrumbing through his back against my own. I try to pulse mine back in healing him._

_A soft moan sighs out of his hardened body now completely melted into the gurney. His hand comes up and covers mine on his helm. My tears rush forth to mix with the sweat and blood staining his torn back._

_"Shhh…" he whispers as I fade deeper into my own injuries and tears…. "Shh, I have you now…"_

**_*******deepness******_**

**_There is he is, hot broad back beneath my palms all armor removed. Soothing over the healed over scars from those damned phosphorous flares that tried to take us all out. He lets out a slow moan as I push a little harder into that one area around the cable port. Yes, I had already cast that aside along with the cannon. I don't care about the other half of the limb that was lost in he line of duty. No, just adds to his sex appeal: honor and duty._**

**_I press on, "Yes..." he hisses. I press a little lower. "Oh Primus yes, just a little lower," the thick accent roles out. Now see when you have someone with nice broad shoulders with a strong back (and out of the armor, I must say) in need of a back massage, the best position is to be sitting is on the small of their back with their nice firm aft supporting yours. This cup of back is just the perfect saddle for a femme of my stature. I had never done this on one so desirable, but like Pit was I going to lose this chance._**

**_Now when sitting on the small of one's back, do you really want hard unforgiving armor? The thin sheet was not going to hide my internal problem much loner. Heated desire is welling up as my fingers knead and I roll my force into the forbidden form below me. Sliding my palms up the spine, over the shoulder plains, down the bicep & back up, down the side-chest cage, down to the trim waist… Slide, knead, roll. *moan* Press, slide, knead, roll *moan* Roll press, hips roll, fingers grip, roll grind… Oh shit… I moan this time and … here I go over that edge…_**

**_He chuckles. Crap, he knows. (well how could he NOT!) Craning his helm just a touch over the soft round of his shoulder, I could swear he is smirking at me, "How long?"_**

**_I groan trying to hide my heating face by turning away. It does no good. Instead, he continues the turn. The shoulder rolls back. The left half-arm comes over to round my waist keeping me in position as he continues the rotation yanking the fabric barrier away in the process._**

**_Oh Primus, I'm not really sitting on... ooohhh shit. … I am. {Elicit moan femme…}_**

**_His chuckle this time is more deep throated as he recognizes the reaction my core is having to caressing his strong and commanding back. He just smiles as the bastard grinds his powerful hips in their own roll with just a hint of an arrogant glint._**

**_Once again I try to turn away before I make a bigger fool of myself. Planting my hands on his heated and strong chest I try to push off and away. The strong half arm, won't let me retreat, and the lilac hand grasps my chin bringing our faces even closer together. With an ever so soft but yet commanding tone and seductive accent, "Tell me. How long?" {roll, roll}_**

**_I try to close my optics and ignore the question, but I can't. Not when that velvet soft antenna comes up to graze my arm and then nuzzles the smug face into my neck again. I can't think when I can feel his words against my throat and his hip continue their pulsing roll. The harmonic English tone, "Tell me, little femme, how long have you yearned for me to take you?" Deadly slow roll._**

**_"I can't tell you that," is weak and whispered backtalk, but did he have to slip that palm down and cup me, grazing a thumb across the darkened nub. Nuzzling closer, I give in, "The first moment... you walked in.." No, I won't let this change what he means to me. Never..._**

**_Nuzzling lower and tighter, I begin to lose my breath as his hips rotate and thump in time with his grazes to my chest. "I was constantly thinking about you... but it would get me killed... If I ahhh!" He chuckles to his intrusion. "I can't constantly think about you. You are off limits."_**

**_"Then I wasn't here. I didn't make you feel this low... I didn't catch you looking at the floor." He growls grinding harder, and again deeper... "How are you going to get through this?"_**

**_"I won't." My body sags back against the limb holding me up in his firm lap. The palm scoops up and loops mine around his neck. My other hand comes up and grasps his antenna._**

**_I wasn't expecting the howl. It was not a howl of pain, far from it. No this howl was pure pleasure that I had no idea the controlled and logical mech could release. Oh that payback did feel wonderful for what he was doing to me internally. This time, I reached out and stroked them both ever so slowly from helm to tip like I had on the battlefield. Only this time, in harmony with his own pulsing strokes to my body._**

**_The mighty commander shivers and shudders beneath me burring his face into my chest. Now it was my turn to howl and grip onto both the forward slanted antenna._**

**_My leaning back, combined with pulling him forward sends us both off the berth and to the floor. Instead of causing a retreat, it just furthers the connection. And then…_**

**_Using the half arm under my waist, lifts my hips nearly rolling me to stand on my shoulders and neck. The firm palm plants itself beside my resting helm, curling him over me. And then, the tempo increases: hard. I had no idea there were nodes in there that triggered sounds like that from me. Apparently he did by his rather proud grunt of success, and repeated strikes to the target._**

**_Hot, hard, choked vents are soon coming from me. And he commands, "Yes, little femme, overload for me. You are mine and you .. will… succumb to my body…"_**

**_Screaming as the force and tempo increases, I thrash. It only cause him to snarl and grasps me tighter. "I-can't-breathe!" I beg._**

**_"Then overload and you will." He carefully explains, not retreating down for one moment._**

**_"You will be gone, as soon as I do…" stupidly a tears slips down my face._**

**_Shock wavers across him and he stops. I roll my head away in shame. Carefully the arm comes out from my back, allowing me to slide flat to the floor. Remaining connected, adjusts himself to be covering, but not crushing me. "Look at me," the order is so soft. I refuse. He forces me to look into his soft single golden optic. With a very tender lit, orders again, "Look at me."_**

**_I do. Truth looks back. I can have this one stolen moment in time. But we can never be anything else. Leaning in, he gives me the most wonderful sweet kiss possible driving away my shame or any other logical thought. His hips begin the dance again, this time slower, gentle. Making this stolen moment last forever._**

**_"Shhh, I will make you overload in a shower of sparks you did not know even existed. My gift to you."_**

**_I cry out, arching against him causing to birth those promised sparks with his personal seismic cannon. The nebula down below fires an overload to my aching spark sending it reaching for his. No, he will not give me his. (I didn't expect him to) But he does let his delicate and scientific finger tips play in mine while his body makes mine continue sing for his. Another volley of sparks wrap around his cannon tripping it's trigger._**

**_He roared making every wall vibrate. I was left crying out his name for all the universe to hear._**

_*******out of the depths******_

_"SHOCKWAVE!" It's my voice but I don't recognize the husky and groggy tone to it._

_A light palm falls to my shoulder, "Hey, its alright." My droid-mech nurse guardian consoles._

_Quickly I online my optics and look around. Medbay. Still looks like I remember it. Messy, dying and healing bots all over the place. Haggard and harried medical drones and bots around._

_The yellow one pats me again, "It's alright, you're safe now."_

_Yeah, try saying that laying in a pool of your own forbidden fluid. My body is jittery and trembling from the after effects of a non existent passionate moment with a forbidden lover. Shaky, "How is he?" my tight throat ebbs out._

_My nurse steps aside, and I am able to see the obviously injured and should be resting mech, pushing another medic's palm aside. Megatron stands barring the door way, arms crossed. Carefully, silently our leader is looking to both the medic and his pale purple commander draped only in a soft white fabric med-gown. Who's word should he believe about his most trusted soldier's health?_

_I swallow hard afraid I am going to be sick. My guts are still spazaming from the hallucination. It does not help to see my obsession looking somewhat weak and his near naked form draped seductively over there. Has he any idea how deadly his form is right now? Has he any idea that he could blow a thousand femme (and some mech's) processors if he just strode out onto the field in just that fabric gown. "You can look but not touch." I turn and hurl into the bedpan at my side. I can't feel this way. I've been trying so hard to be a soldier not some stupid aft femme running on stupid hot flashes._

_And then, the vermillion optics turn to me and sneers. I shudder and try to curl into a ball but the brace on my leg just won't allow me to retreat from the intimidating piercing optics. The yellow palm rest on mine trying to support me silently._

_"My Lord," my savior gathers his leader's attention back, "I may not currently be able to fight, but I am able to lead and help you plan. Light duty, if you may until my armor is repaired."_

_The bristling leader curtly nods, without a second glance to me and turns to leave. My savior turns and just as he is about to approach bshe/b latches onto his half-arm to support and escort him away. He does look over to me once more and gives me a soft nod. Reassurance that I served the Decepticons well. And then he was gone. The last I ever saw of him. /i_

***return***

That's right, my first overload was a hallucination. That's right, the med staff heard me cry out for a Commander so off limits… how pathetic. Right after that, I was on the first wave of ships to an asteroid to mine Energon for the faction. I never saw him again.

I figured him to either be dead by shielding our glorious leader, (or her) or from a great hand to hand fight. I prayed for him to be happily studying his science in one of the prestigious cities today. Maybe even as a professor.

Turning into my next stop, I gape. Space Bridge manufacturing here in Kaon? Really? Well that is new to me! Anyway, a deliver is a delivery. I shrug and head on with my duties.

I enter and head up to the assigned floor. There at the curved desk of the secretaries on the top floor, I bring my data pad to be signed. She looks over the parcels.

Out of the corner of my optic I see my hallucination slide into my sights. Glancing my direction, his pede hesitates. Did he recognize me? Does he know me? Does he-

**ding** the elevator makes itself known. But I keep my optics locked on the proud, dignified Commander of Respect and Honor walking towards me. Warrior to be contended with! My protector and savior! It really is him coming towards me?! And then to my utmost shock, his proud regally form lowers himself to one knee, spreading his arms wide with a beamful pride. My jaw drops. He only kneels before Lord Megatron. So who would bring him to his knees now?

"Mummmyyy!" a little sliver streak zips past me and launches himself into those strong protective gift wrapping arms.

Mummy? My savior is a ….

The floor rushes up to greet me and my world crumbles into crushing blackness.


	2. After Shocks

**After Shocks**

"Hey, Miss Cyber Ex."

My helm hurts a little, and it's dark. A warm, heavy, fuzzy dark. I like it here in spite of the dull numbing ache in my spark and throb to my head. The darkness is a comforting warm. Almost like a intoxicated buzz buried deep in a heavy blanket. If only that annoying noise would go away. The one that keeps trying to pull me out of my snuggly warm cocoon of comfort and safety.

There's no reality in here. There's no pain. There's no chance of me making an aft of myself. And I don't have to think about anything but… sleep.

"Come on Miss Cyber Ex, I know you are in there. Time to come out and join the rest of in the living." The tone is a gentle tease. Comforting. But I still don't want to come out. It's nice in here in my quite dark warm world. I try not make it look like I'm conscious.

"View," the tone is serious. "Come on."

Why does the voice sound familiar? It's not my brother Couper. Nor is it the one from my long dead fantasies…

Oh crap. I know where I am. I really did pass out? Oh Primus I'm going to be sick.

Shivering, I draw my knees up and fold up into my Earth based alt mode. I just can't face anyone.

"Hey, don't be like that. It's not that bad."

"Please just go away." My voice is all muffled inside my Saturn VUE cab.

A warm palm soothes from my "forehead" across my roof between my racks. I can feel the warm breath on my door, whispering. "Everyone passes out once in awhile. Your labs look good. You were brought in just to be safe. You shouldn't have a problem with DOT. When and what's the last thing you ate?"

My voice hitches, "Please, I just need to be alone. I just…"

"View?"

My spark freezes. _**That voice. **_Oh Primus he is really here? I can't circulate my air. I can't think. I just want to evaporate. I just… Primus please let me die.

"Medic, did you say this femme's name is View?" The confused firm English voice requests and answer.

"Yes, Sir-erm, Yes, … Mr. Shockwave."

Oh my how stupid of me! Of course the first voice was so comforting. It's HIM! THEM! Slowly I unfold, still hidden under the drape.

I feel the drape pulled back from my face leaving me staring into a warm yellow and red trimmed face with soft green optics. "Hi. Welcome back from where ever you retreated. You have visitors."

My optics plead hoping the nice droid-nurse will understand I don't want to see anyone. He did, but frowned. I still don't give.

He whispers, "Is that any way to say thank you to the mech who insisted you be check out?"

"You don't understand…" I plead.

"The war's over. It's okay to talk to him."

I wasn't about to spill the truth. I mean seriously, what do you say to the two mechs in the room who saved your life when you failed in your duty? Most certainly to the one you had fawned and drooled over in your younger stupider days. Yesh, you are a grown adult now, not some stupid bot-worshiping twit.

But those past emotions of intense infatuation are so …real … you can taste them. They flare your spark. They make all your senses hypersensitive and everything vibrant in color and sound and roll your tanks and….

"View? Is that… really you?" The powerful mechly form steps closer to my berth.

I close my optics terrified he will be able to read me. There was no need for a cortical patch for me! Seriously I lost every card game I ever played. I am no spy!

My yellow support quickly closes the door so the three of us are alone. He knows I can't speak, but as of yet has made no indication as to if he knows why.

Still I can feel the golden optic practically scanning me. Searching me. Analyzing me. _Gracious_, can he feel my heat too? My face flaming up!

The other mech speaks on my behalf. "Yes, Commander, this is View."

"No titles, please. It's forbidden." The heavier chest sighs with relief, "And over. I am not that mech anymore."

That brings my optics back on line. Looking him over, I can see the statement is both true and false.

Still drop dead gorgeous. Still confident. Still a mech to be taken seriously. But yet, there is a slightly softer ire to him. He doesn't seem as uptight. Concern floats across his optic.

"Are you alright? You hit your head on the secretary's desk when you fell. I was concerned." The voice is softer. Not an order. A logical concern for another's behalf.

I nod, but the purple mech turns to the yellow one, "Is she?"

"Her labs look good and other than a painful dent, no major injuries."

"What happened?" That did sound a bit like the old mech wanting all the facts. I can't help but smirk, but just like the last time I saw him only with Lord Megatron asking the same questions with the same tone.

I flush and try to find a way to hide my expression. I give up and pull my hands over my face, "Oh Primus this is embarrassing."

"Um erm.. Sir…," my RN tries to start but is quickly stopped by an impatient grunt from the taller mech.

"Please tell me I did not really faint. Can you just lie to me and say… I don't know… anything else?" I'm afraid I'm going to cry of pure humiliation.

The room became dead silent. Only the sound of the lights buzzing and two mech's lightly venting could be heard. And yet it continued. Neither moved waiting for me to answer.

"View?" The smaller one asks very carefully. "What did happen?" Still the silence came. I knew they wanted an answer. How could I decline a request from my commander and my medic? They are waiting. I have to do something.

I let one finger loose from my face and point to my old infatuation. "_ME_?!" He squeaks.

And that shocks me. I had no idea he could make that noise. That pulls my fingers down a little. Between my fingers I glance to the medic first. His palm has come to his mouth. I grimace, he figured it out. I don't know if it's possible to feel more embarrassed than I already did. But I just wanted to die. Or pass out again. Primus wasn't so kind.

Shockwave looks between me and the medic. Regaining his normal countenance pushes the issue, "Explain."

I don't know how it was meant to be said it, but my spark took it as an order. My throat eeps out: "I… thought… you…" I sigh heavily and rush it all out. "I never thought I would ever see you again. And certainly not…."

"Here?" He tries to help. I waggle my head indicating there was more to that. Strong biceps cross over that broad chest of his. "What?"

I can't help but stare at his covered spark chamber. I have no idea how long I stared at it, but I guess he noticed, because he looks down to it as well releasing his arms a little.

I think he understood because his antenna droop. "My son?"

How can I tell him that seeing his little gift of silver is an hammer blow to my reawakened emotions? How can I tell him that feelings I had clamped off and healed over just spent the day bursting through spark-scars like a violent volcanic eruption coating and burning me. It is painful to breath. More so to think. How can I tell him dead dreams just died all over again?

How can I tell him that I wished that precious gift **I **had bore for _him_ not he for someone else.

He leans in ever so softly, "Don't you have a mate?" Sadly I shake my head trying to get a breath out of my crushed chest. Did the gravity in the room just quadruple? Did he really have to be so close that I could just lunge out and kiss him madly -

He looks to the medic, "You?" He too shakes his head silently.

Shockwaves helm droops further down. It pulls me out of that heat. Why does is look so _guilt_y? Why do I think he is embarrassed this time? Feared Commander Shockwave embarrassed and guilty of what? It-it just isn't possible. He sighs slowly and rather heavily.

I hear a noise in the hall, "Daddy, where is Mummy? Is Mummy sick?"

A deep voice mutters something I can not hear. The deep rumble familiar from somewhere in my past, but not with a soft tone like that. I can place it, but then again, not. You know what I mean?

Apparently Shockwave does know the voice. His helm perks up and stares at the door, pondering. I look to the door still trying to identify the voice from the hall with the sparkling. Oh Primus it's _his son….with … his mate_?

A warm lilac palm lays on my shoulder. Startled by the tenderness from my Commander, I just stare into his warm optic, forgetting how to take a breath. His expression is very supportive as his other hand falls on the RN's shoulder.

The words come out somewhere between a blessing and an order: "Please, do not let everything we fought for be in vain. Do not let our fallen comrades deaths be for nothing. We Decepticon did not loose the war. We succeeded in our mission: A new Cybertron with new hope." His hands lift and then rest back down. "Please… go. Live your lives to the fullest. I beg of you…."

With that, he pulls back letting his palms slide off our shoulders. Soft pedes head for the door, proud with those confident strides. Laying a hand on the handle, he turns back to me, "And View, I have not forgotten. Thank you for saving my life in the vacuum chamber."

I gulp a bit rattled. I try once more to get those words out I had started on the battle field, "I'm sorry you had to be saved."

A slow soft hand wipes though the air erasing my statement, "The past. Do not go back. Go forward." With that, he opens the door. A blur of silver leaps from unseen arms to land in the purple arms and clings to my past-savior's neck. Ever so lovingly, the parental helm nuzzles his gift. Then turning the little silver chin with his parent's twin golden optics, the single larger optic beams back to us, "I did."

With that said, the solid back disappears through the door. Out of my vision and out of my life. A fantasy at an end.

It still hurts. But the blessing and forgiveness helps.

"View?" I turn back to the remaining mech. Serious he leans in, "What happened today?"

I go to fold up into my vehicle mode again but am stopped by a firm hand, "No, you will not retreat again. I am no longer just a droid assistant medic. I am a full RN and you are going nowhere until you tell me what happened."

"It's dumb." I finally confess.

He gives me a silly lopsided grin, "Then I'm just the one you should be talking to. I understand dumb. My second language at the university."

How can you not smile at that? Instead I roll my optics. He doesn't retreat. "Tell me. Patient confidentiality. And I hold your release in my hand."

I close my optics and try to find the most cryptic words possible, "Have you ever… um… thought about someone…. Ummm, too much?"

"Um-hum," he nudges me to go on.

"For a long time?" Once more a positive tone, but a hint of some thing else. "I thought he was dead. I never thought… his son… I just .. It.. I… oh please can't I just die now?" I sag trying to pull the sheet up.

"View, it's okay. I understand. Look at me." Some how, I do. What I can see is a face full of compassion. Like he would like to take all my pain and humiliation away. He really did understand. "While you are here, let me look at that knee of yours. I'm sure after all this time, it could use some tending."

At this, he pulls the sheet back from my knee and easily pops the greave off. Running a soft warm thumb over the scar from the surgery, I once again feel stupid.

"I'm so.. sorry. I…I don't even know your name. And yet here you are taking care of me again."

He smiles shaking the embarrassment aside, "Sprinter, but everyone calls me Sprint." His hands are so tender and soft. Especially around the ticklish and the scar sensitive spot. Skilled.

"Sprint…"

"Um..?" he is listening but also focusing. I can feel him cutting away some build up of scar tissue.

"Did… you… ever….{stall} Care for someone?"

Without lifting his head he nods. He continues to trim and buff the sharp edge away. "But she never saw me that way so I did the only thing I could. Be her medic."

The door bursting open closes off the rest of our conversation. "Oh View! Garsh are you alright? Scrap! when Steve got the word, I had to throttle him for more information-"

"This is my dear friend Musty, one of the loaders at base," I quickly cut her off before Sprint has a chance to throw her out. He cocks a brow as she continues to ramble not even noticing I had cut her off. And then he begins chuckling while cleaning up.

"Did you even hear a word I said?" Musty finally finishes her rant.

"Where's my truck? What about my route? And oh crap, Steve…," I groan.

Planting her candy apple red hands to her black hips, she scowls, "What the frag is wrong with you?! All you can think about is work? What about what _happened _,?"

Sprint and I share a look only two Decepticon warriors would know about duty coming above all costs, "Um…"

Sprint hands over a pamphlet chip to Musty, "Dehydration. It's getting hotter and this is a prime example of what happens when you don't stay hydrated." He turns back to me, "Dereliction of duty? How can you complete your duties if your don't maintain your health?"

Musty scowls understanding his factual droid-like tone to be harsh and cold. It was anything but that to my audios. It was warm and supportive. It was a reminder of what our drill sergeant had taught us during our first few days. We were nothing to the cause if we neglected to take basic precautions with our health. On top of that, he hid the real reason I fainted.

Snorting, Musty snatches the chip from him, "Fine! When can she go?"

I cringe at my current friend being rude to my … well Sprint. He understands far too well and but doesn't reacted to her tone. Instead a warm caring palm slips over my forearm out of her sight. Using the old language he is sure Musty won't understand, "Remember what he said. Move forward, alright?"

Softly I nod wanting so badly to squeeze his hand, "You too."

He shrugs sadly. What was it? "We'll see." With that, he helps me stand and returns to the universal language, "How do you feel?"

I smirk feeling physically better but still a bit embarrassed, "Stupid."

Pulling his crooked grin up, teases "Well join the club. We meet First Day on the corner of Alpha and Crimson in the church basement. Bring your own snacks."

Musty gapes. I giggle and blush again. Sprint cants his wrist to join his shrug, "I'm just saying, you would be surprised who else is there." Then taps my nose, "And… you're not alone." The slight downward tilt of his helm brings his deep green optics to lock onto my tawny-blue ones. Why did I feel there was something a bit more personal in that look?

Musty's stomp breaks my investigation. He hands me my walking-pad, "See you around, IMiss Cyber-Ex /I."

That one sends me blushing in a whole new light. Yes, I've seen the unauthorized pin up calendars for the delivery companies and some of their hottest employees with their vehicles. CPS, CHL, Cyber-Ex, and even near bankrupt Seeker Express… but no, I am not even in league with those buffed, trimmed and well packed bots. I'm dull grey-white and red trimmed, skinny and short. How could he even hint of me being like one of them?

Oh my gosh! He's blushing! Swiftly we both look away.

Musty groans, "View, we have to go. Steve wants to talk to you before you go home. Hey Medic, can she go to work tomorrow?" I cringe to her short tone.

"Yep, clean bill of health. No problems, just pack a jug, got it?" He ignores her tone. I nod and head for the door.

So much is reeling through my head as Musty jabbers about how the news was received and the rumors quickly spread around the base while we head out to the parking lot. Taking me to her little personal car, I hear a sparkling's voice. Looking over, I watch my old commander nuzzle his sparkling's squiggling belly for a moment before plunking the tike into his safety-seat. Obviously his mate is in the driver's seat because the engine to the big ute starts before the large purple bot makes it to the front cab. Yanking the front door open, something makes him turn my way. We catch gazes once more. His curt nod is a reminder for me to follow his last set of orders. With a flick of two curled fingers off my brow in a hidden salute, I promise to try. Before he hops into the cab and pulls out of my life forever, he glances back to the hospital. I look back to the building wondering what he is thinking. When I look back, the ute is gone.

"Are we spending the night, or what?" Musty asks once more. I climb into the little beater and settle. "Hey View, are you alright? You seem very distant."

"I just have… a lot on my mind."

"Which one? The bonded purple one or the weird yellow one?"

Turning my aching helm to the window I huff, "Mechs, is that all you think about?"

Musty scoffs, "Well someone has to. Maybe I just have to think about twice as many since you don't. Are you pining or… into ..?"

"Shut up Musty, my head hurts."

I just can't do this with any one right now. I don't want to think about relationships. I have watched too many bots die and become broken. I have watched several betray their bonds and break sparks. I just … I want a fairytale that will never happen. I might be a mushy femme inside, but I'm also not stupid. (Even if I do currently feel stupid.) I never said this processor of mine made sense. And right now with it getting bonked around and my spark swelling in craziness…

I sigh heavily in my idiotic musings.

We have arrived. Making my way to the office, I see Steve double checking customs forms for packages headed off world. Musty's loud voice turns him, "Well look what I found down at Kaon General!"

Steve quickly rounds the counter and clasps me in a warm bear hug. Scrap, how many more times can I blush. My poor cheeks must have third degree burns by now. Then he pulls back to look at me straight in the optic, "Primus, don't ever scare me like that again! You hear me?"

I nod and step back. Steve is an old warrior too. Treats all of us like one of his own. He's like a grandpa, uncle or big brother. One you respect, but don't cross. He'll protect you or grill you. Right now, he was doing both at the same time.

I couldn't feel more protected and more humiliated at the same time. He gently grasps my chin and looks me in the optics like a sergeant might to determine if my strength of processor was ready to go back into battle. I grumble and sigh. "I'm good. My ego took a beating worse than my head. Can I just go home with what is left of my dignity?"

Steve can see that's what I really need right now. "Okay, beat it. On time tomorrow?"

"Of course, Sir," I tease back.

"BAH!" He snarls. Steve wasn't an officer in the army and thus found it offensive for any of us to call him 'sir' but on the other hand, he is top-bot of the depot.

Pretending to duck I head to my locker and grab my gear. Looking down at my keys I thumb the small piece of purple armor I had managed to hold onto all these years. I know what I need to do with this, but not tonight. Tonight, I just need to go home and sleep.

Heading out to my car, I see Musty beside hers. "Hey Musty, thanks for coming to my rescue. I don't think I every really said how much I appreciate it."

Musty twirls her own keys for a moment and then reaches out, "So you ever going to tell me what it was like for you during the war? What kept you sane? What kept you living?"

My thumb rubs the piece of violet purple armor. A lost dream. A past. My grip during all those years of mining with my fellow reprimanded colleges. I clinch it tight. "What was it like for me during the war? Hell, duh, Musty. And honestly, I'm trying to put it all past me."

"You never said which side you were on. You never said what you did. You never did say if there was some, you know.." she teases, "Hanky panky? Humm, some mech that caught your optic and oh I don't know… Some knight in shinning armor that scooped you of from the battle and made your spark go supernova -"

"Stop it, Musty." My words are choked and near whisper. How could I tell her any of this? I never spoke of it with anyone. And I sure as hell wasn't going to tell miss motor mouth here I had the hots for … a commander far out of my reach. Gosh her mouth is as bad as the tabloids. "Damn-it Primus. Let me go." I cuss just wanting to move on, but then this bot just has to try keeping me in the past.

Clasped into a tight hug, all the air whooses out of me, "Oh View, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up old wounds. I just want to be there for you and I just want you happy and … I'm …"

I pat her back, "It's okay, Musty. I'm okay."

I know she's trying to be my friend by understanding everything in my life. It's hard for her to not know everything. Her family had been one of the lucky ones to whisk her away to Velcitron. I can't help but wonder if that also has a bit to do with her rapid fire glossia, swift accuracy at work, as well and the inability to leave anything alone. She means well and is always there for anyone. That means more than … everything. I can't honestly stay mad at her for long.

"Shhh, Musty. I'm fine. I'm not relapsing. Just reminiscing. 'Kay?"

The red turbo charged femme pulls back. I beam her a confident smile. With that she releases me. "So, that yellow one wasn't _too_ bad. Mmm, and that big purple one. Wonder if he's got a brother with a matching aft. Maybe you should see about babysitting his sparkling to get the inside intel-"

I can't help but find myself laughing at the swift turn around. "Good bye, Musty. I'll see you in the morning." And I move away from her as fast as possible.

Slipping the key into the ignition, my fingers fondle the purple armor shard again. "Hum, does Shockwave have a brother? Is Soundwave his brother?" I slap a palm over my face, "Scrap I need to stop talking to Musty." I bring the engine to life.


	3. Sprinters POView

**Sprinter's POView : A continuation s Crushing Waves of Shock and After Shocks. **  
**a/n: This time we see it from Sprinter's side. I will flip back to View for the next chapter. _indicates flashbacks_**

**_Would you like to know a secret, there are two chapters planned that are neither View or Sprinter's Poitn of View. Umm, curious? Hehe._**

Even stinging pain in my palms doesn't overshadow the pain in my spark. Slapping them down on the counter again, I hope it will help. Nope. It just brings two types of pain now.

"Sprinter?" my nurse comes into the exam room. "You okay?"

What can I tell my assistant? I don't even look at her. I know she has that look on her face. It's the same one I have in my spark for View. It's the same one View has for Shockwave. The one that I knew Shockwave had for an unknown other. At least one of us managed to moved past the idiocy of infatuation and live a real life.

"I'm taking a break. If anyone really needs me, I'm in the 'lot." I didn't mean for it to come out so sharp, but the pain is stinging a bit too badly. It's destroying my normally jovial personality. It's bringing up my war-day-one instead.

"Oh," she practically whimpers. I'm not an idiot and I'm not cruel. But I'm also not a playbot screwing with femme's sparks. No, I know how much it hurts to yearn for one who doesn't know you are alive.

"Sorry," I manage to mutter and escape those petro-puppy optics of hers.

Life isn't fair. Love is torture. War is hell. 'And Primus, right now I wonder where you are and what you are up to. You always have a plan. Plan on letting me in on what it is? Because right now, you just really had to rub my face in the fact she will never be interested in me didn't you? If I didn't have such faith in you I would be cursing you.'

The blast of icy fresh air assaults my olfactory sensors as I step out of the building. The blast rolls me back to too many vorns ago. A lifetime if not more.

_{flashback}_  
_IThe femmes were right. He is a sight to behold. I may not be into mechs that way, but it doesn't mean I don't know a good looking one when I see one. Seriously, when you look around at your own, you know how you size up against the others. Right? I'm not bad looking, but he's better. I'm intelligent, he's a genius. Oh and the eloquence of his voice, shit, completely unfair._

_'Thank you Primus for giving me a dull accent while giving the studdly mech not only an impressive bod, super processor, title of Commander but to top it off, an alluring voice? You're a cruel being!'_

_But there was something else I notice. Commander Shockwave isn't just any mech. He is half-droid. It's not hard to notice by the unique face, seeming cold domineer, and complete focus. Perfectionist. And always at service to anyone: above or below his rank. A commander I can respect? If that wasn't an oxymoron._

_Offered an open door? Offered to help one improve? Offer….?_

_I just gape. For the first time in my life, since my father's death, I have found a hero. And, he's like me… part droid. And most certainly mech. By the pools of violet drool gushing out from under the femme dormitory bulkheads while his name echoes down the corridors in throws of wanted ecstacy._

_Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration. But not by much. His name was rivaled with Megatron's among most wanted pressing them to the berth, silently whispered behind fingertips, of course. Not quiet enough for the rest of us mechs to ignore our standing among femmes' dreams. I look around to the rest of us grunts. Scrawny, skinny and not worth much more than cannon fonder. But not in the optic of our instructor._

_"Everyone of you has a place in this war. You would not have come to this induction area if you didn't think you had some thing contribute. It is my job to make sure you have a chance to prove your worth to Lord Megatron and the Decepticon Faction. Now, use your processors, that's what they are there for. Watch, learn, live." Stepping aside, flays out his light colored graceful fingers, gives us our first order, "Begin."_

_I'm not the fastest. I'm not the strongest. I'm not the most accurate. I'm also not the slowest, weakest or worst. After several training sessions, Shockwave pulls me aside from the rest of the group while they continue to train._

_"Tell me soldier, what is your designation?"_  
_"Sprinter," to my dead-father's grace, it came out confident._

_My training instructor looks down to my file, "I understand you were beginning your studies in medicine before induction. True?" Respectfully I nod. He looks up and nails me with his gaze. He is watching my reaction, searching and interrogating me. I have no idea why this matters during drill training, but he presses, "What stopped your studies? What brought you here?"_

_"Caste, Sir. It… it's wrong."_

_Shockwave flicks his hand towards the others still training, "So do they. There are even those among the Autobots in agreement with you. Why would the caste system make a mech with good marks stop his Hippocratic studies? It doesn't seem prudent."_

_Now I don't want to sound like a kiss-aft. Yet on the same token, I was hoping he could relate to my standing. After all he is half droid himself. "When I was first accepted into the program, it had been explained I could become a full medical doctor. Once I was too deep into my studies to turn around it was made clear, that due to my mixed race, law forbade I would never be allowed to reach that goal. I would only be an intern. And orderly, nothing more."_

_I know he already knew my race. It's right there in my files. But yet still he presses, watching my reaction once more. "And what race would that be?"_

_Clenching my fists behind my back I make it clear I am NOT weak, but nor will I been anything less that what I am. "Sir, I am not ashamed of my genes. I am proudly half droid, and I would rather die fighting for my cousins and like race, that peter away knowing I am forever looked down upon as less than-"_

_A lilac palm and soft tone comes before my furious green optics, "Enough."_

_Instantly I stop, for I must. Swiftly something is written on my file and then handed back to me, "We are in short supply of trained medics. I can not promise that we can ever make you a full doctor. I would never make a promise I can not keep, but this I can promise you… you will be treated with respect and your faction would be grateful to have you on our team. Please, report to Hook and Knockout right away. We are in desperate need of your assistance."_

_Taking the tablet I gape. Knockout? Really? The mech is just a skilled as he is vain. And that mech is as vain as any Elite council's femme. I just stare at the change of orders too stunned to move._

_"Soldier?" Shockwave lays a hand on my shoulder. Looking up I can see he is concerned._

_"Um, thank you?" I stammer out._

_He smiles. A smile that only a fellow droid would recognize. He gifts me with a light chuckle and pats again. Then he whispers softly, "Make our race proud."_

_Now it's my turn to smile back and return the favor, "You too… Commander." With a curt nod from him and a reverent salute from me, we part. Him to try saving our soldiers on the battle lines and I in the med bay. /I_

Now I stand here just outside my current post, Kaon General Hospital. Yep, that same cursed government that said as a droid I wasn't worth anymore that changing bedpans and taking temperatures, I now serve. Well, I guess that's not entirely true. Yes the hospital is owned by the government and not by one of the private companies and yes, thanks to Lord Megatron's treaty, there is no official class distinction. He had also asked that his soldiers be treated with dignity to which they had fought for their cause.

I'm not bitter, not really. Just reminiscing right now. The war had solved many issues but not all. And right now, created another pain for my personal life.

I'm standing here watching Commander Shockwave place his sparkling into his vehicle with his hidden mate at the ready. And then I see it, he motions for View to look to the hospital as she salutes him good-bye. Just what is he implying? I turn and look to the entrance. Is there someone else here that I have missed? Looking back, both of them are gone. Just as well.

"Smoking, Sprint?"

I snort to the red mech coming behind me. He's from the ICU wing. "Yeah, right. You know me better than that." Obviously he's off-duty from the way he is throwing his professional jacket over his shoulder. "Battlefield smoke gave me a reason to never start."

He chuckles. "Well don't let current life get to you either," and whistling a happy tune heads out swinging his 'copter blades. I watch him go. I know that walk. I know that jaunt of the chin. Someone's waiting for him to come home. Lucky bastard.

I sigh heavily. Looking round as I head back in, I see a whole lot of families. Some are hurting. Many are healing. Most of all, they aren't alone. Something I miss from the war. I know it sounds insane, just bear with me.

{_flash}I Knockout and Hook are actually relieved to see my file when I handed it to them. Swiftly they grill me on what I knew. Thanks to my droid half, I can rapid fire the answers back. Knockout doesn't waste any time._

_"You! Come with me." I follow him to a desk._  
_"Sit!" A crisp curt order._  
_In rapid strike to the keys, a huge file comes up. "You are not to leave this desk until you understand everything here. If you need," he slaps a com unit on my wrist, "Hook is at your disposal. I have to leave."_

_Silently I nod. He thrusts a pointed digit to a cluttered bunk in a dingy corner, "That is your new quarters. You do not leave this room unless-"_

_"I have a name!" I finally snap back. His red optics go wide to my rebuke. I had to do it. I wasn't going through this crap again. I do not rise into his face, but I do make my presence known. "I'm sorry, sir, but if you are going to treat me like some nameless drone, I'll go back to being a foot soldier slaughtered in my first combat. At least there I have can let my name be known as take and Autobot with me to the grave."_

_Even Hook's optics go wide to my outburst. Knockout sucks in air ready to fire back at me when Hook points to the signature on my file laying on the desk for all to see: Commander Shockwave. Knockout deflates quickly. Taking a second look at me, he nods with a hint of respect, "Very well, Medic Sprinter."_

_With that, I turn back to the monitor and begin reading the latest techniques in battlefield triage. "I promise to give you my best, sir." Knockout only grunts and leaves me to my reading._

_It wasn't long and the battle wounded arrive back with Knockout bellowing orders covered in soldier's vital fluids. At times like these, all vanity is shoved aside for the sake of life. I can respect that. Leaping to my pedes, I go where he directs and save the mech. The next patient I loose. The next four me and another fellow medic-in-training get stable enough for Hook and Knockout to perform their surgical miracles._

_I have no idea how long we were at it, but we were beat at the end. Seeing that some of the others look worse than me, I take over the clean up work. That is until a cube is shoved in my face, "Good work, Sprinter." I take the cube offered by the red talons._

_I give him an exhausted smile, "Thank you, sir."_

_He smirks that arrogant charm of his, "Don't thank me yet. I have six more journals for you to read."_  
_My spark sinks. There was no way I could even figure out how to spell my own name let alone comprehend one sentence of medial jargon right now._  
_Cheeky bastard laughs slapping me square in the back nearly spilling my cube, "Tomorrow, droid, tomorrow. Go, rest. Scalpel's got this watch."_

_I'm too tired to reply to the jab of my lower caste lineage. Instead I down the cube and hand the empty back to him. "Yes sir." With that, I slink back to my hovel and collapse. I have never felt more tired or more happy. I saved lives. I was call a medic. I did something! I completed my task! I am a real person._ And I still am.

I head back into my post at the ER. Glancing at the chronometer, I can see I don't have much longer and my shift will be done. Then it will be time for me to head back to my silent apartment.

See, in the army you bunk near your comrades. You are never alone. There is always someone ordering you, or in my case, needing you. You are bound together by a joint task. There is always some one to talk to or listen to. I tended to listen more than talk. But hanging out with Knockout, Hook and tending to a few of the more rash bots, you pick up a lot. My sense of humor soon became my sanity saver.

Much like it saves me now days.

Until I met **her**. And then, no one else seemed to matter. And just when I thought I had gotten over her, she walks back into my life… with him…. Again.

"Doctor! Hurry, she's crashing!" I leave my spark ache behind and rush to my new patient.

~~~00~~  
Even I don't want to remember the gruesome accidents and injuries I saw today. Opening my 'fridge I see the remains of last night's dinner. Leftovers. Painful metaphor to seeing her and him again today. My appetite is shot.

A hot shower and a warm cup of tea will sooth me just fine. The hot water rushing down over my protoform is so soothing, searing. The hotter the better. It loosens every stiff joint, burns way other issues and seeps into pieces I only knew about because of cadavers.

I The medbay was kept at a temperature that germs didn't like. They couldn't prosper in the chilly climate and thus we lost a lot less soldiers due to infections. It's hell on the medics though. As compensation, we were permitted hotter water for our showers and thicker blankets for our berths. I could live with that. Warm and hot became my sense of solace. /I

All too soon, my current complex's hot water tank runs out. It becomes icy. I can take a hint. Wrapping my huge bath-towel around me, I grab my hot tea and slink to my window side berth. An open single room flat. It's just me. Will it always be this way? I hope not.

The tea looses all it's flavor as sleep sounds more appetizing. Slogging down deep into my heavy warm covers, I pull them even over my head. Oh it feels sooooo good to be wrapped in this soft warm comfort. Sleep pulls me closer to my god I say my nightly prayers to Primus.

'Thank you for granting me the ability to save some lives and bring comfort. And yes, I even thank you for granting Commander Shockwave a mate, a sparkling and a happily-ever-after. If you see fit, will you gift me with one? I'm not asking for View, even though I wouldn't mind at all if you see fit. Please give me the strength to face my lonely life if you don't….'

~~~00~~  
Buzz buzz buzz….

My world opens to a new day. Not just any day, First Day. A holy day. Just a few more moments in my soft warm cacoon, I hope. But my alarm will not hear of it.  
Taking a refreshed breath, I shove the blankets aside. I need to recharge my batteries, so to speak. And going into the church is that way I do it.

Stepping inside the building filling with praises for our god that pulses beneath my pedes. Yes, he is the living force continually directing our lives. I believe. And so the rest of the members of this church. The pulsing heart of our planet. My denomination are not so ritualistic, we are a bit more protestant, you might say. To us, Primus is not just a god or idol you kneel to, but a living entity. Not a god that created you and left you to move forward like a marble rolling down a hall and whatever bumps you run across, well that's just your tough lot in life. No, we believe he still guides and directs our lives. We believe that if we keep or faith in him, he will continue to make his presence known in our lives.

Primus is not a fool either. If we screw up, we will pay the consiquences. But he is also a god of forgiveness and comfort. My loneliness is easier to bear because I know I am not actually alone. I talk to him any time I want, and I know he hears me. Sometimes he chooses to change things with his miracles, and then sometimes he wants me to learn a lesson from the circumstances in my life.

What does he want me to learn now?

"Sprinter? Is that really you?"

Pulling my head away from my deep questions, I see one of my first battlefield patients. "Slog?"

The mech, holding a toddler, limps towards me beaming. "How are you doing, medic? Please say you are still practicing?"

Blushing I nod and take his tight gripping hand. He introduces me to his little one and try not to let it effect me. But he never was a fool, "You okay Sprinter?" I nod silently. He knows I'm not and this isn't the time or place to discuss it. Instead he tells his little one, "Sweetspark, this is the medic who saved my life. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be your daddy."

I scoff, "Not I. Hook."

Slog narrows his gaze, "Don't give me that crap. You were the one that triaged me. If you hadn't-" I wave off the rest of the statement. He chuckles. Then winks, "That sure was some fire fight, wasn't it?"

To that I can most certainly agree. "Thanks to the Commander, I was able to hold my own long enough to get you stable and shipped out."

Slog laughs with me. "I heard you guys got special training."

I nod again, but the music changes inside signaling us to take our seats. As we do, I notice this is a special service. It's for our veterans. The great war may be over, but we still have active duty soldiers just in case an alien race decides to try something stupid or someone else tries to revive the idea of another civil war.

Up above they flash photos of priests and decons giving last rites and prayers over the injured. Must have been the Autobots or current Cybertronian militia. It's not to say that the Decepticons did not still worship Primus during the war, it's just that we did it in secret. Megatron had strict rules to prayer within his ranks: **Keep it to** **yourself**. Thus we did meeting secretly and offer support and encouragement to each other with prayer.

_Funny thing. I was knelt in a supply closet holding hands with some others deep in prayer when my chronometer pinged. I was so wrapped up in the high of peace and comfort with Primus that I forgot I was to meet at the training grounds. Dropping the hands, I raced to the training ground._

_Commander Shockwave was not pleased to see me late. He also had no time for excuses. And I already felt guilty in let him down after what he had done for me. I needed to make it up to him. I listened more than carefully to what he had to say and his directions._

_"Medics are not exempt from being killed on the battlefield! Do N**OT** be fooled by compassionate Autobot retorick!" He points to his proud Decepticon sigil, "THIS marks you as a target!" He points to our red and white cross, "THIS only means extra points."_

_With this he takes two steps forward and places a hand on the nearest medic's shoulder -mine- "You are our survival. If one of you falls, that means that six more of our wounded will not come against them next battle." He steps away, but his warm hand print remains like a tender brand to my spark. His accented voice drops to a softer more encouraging tone, "You are our hope. When we fall on the field, you are our sign of encouragement. Even if we die, you have not let us die alone. We are not fools, we know you can not save us all. And we do not expect you to. We expect you to live to save our bretheren if we are to pass."_

_We all fell silent to the words of encouragement. I even heard a few gasp. One even hicked a sob back covering her mouth. But our proud warrior and teacher pulls himself up strong and straight to her sound. It seems her reaction makes him more encouraged._

_"And it is my duty to make sure you survive to do yours. Now, I want you to pick up your packs and follow me." With that, he picks up a med-kit as well to show us we will not go through this training alone. He will carry as much weight as we do on the field. Then he stoops and picks up a dummy. Our training patient. "To the gauntlet."_

_My optics go wide in picking up my own dummy. He couldn't be serious. Several more stall in their own pick up. He encourages, "War is hell. I'm going to throw you harder because you need to be strong enough for two. Now, **MOVE OUT**!" And we do._

_And we did. I found out later, he did push us harder and stronger than any one. As much as Hook and Knockout liked to complain about upper Command, every time we returned safe, I would see him give the purple commander a light fist bump to his shoulder plate in passing. He would never say it out loud, but it was his way of saying thank you to the Drill Instructor for saving his team._

_And that's how I saw her for the first time. Helping a comrade into the pick up transport and then rushing back out on her lighting fast pedes to grab another trailing mech. Who could she be helping back? But my own commander, Knockout. She rushed out seeing Shockwave struggling with two injured mechs. My jaw melts. How could something so dirty be so attractive? Because she was going beyond her duty to help another. I knew right then I was in deep trouble. I am in love_./I

"Hey there, stranger. Did you come for the Stupid Meeting tonight?"

I turn ever so slightly. The beauty of my dreams and the bane of my nightmares stares down at me with those soft smiling optics. In a church no less.

'Primus you are either the most gracious deity or the cruelest force of nature. After all the faith I have put into you, do not fail me now.'


	4. VUE of Sprinter

A VUE of Sprinter

{back to our femme View's frame of mind}** a/n Theology involved, you have been warned, thus do not be upset if you do not like faith in your Transformers, for View & Sprinter & Slog are mine, and they do have deep abiding fatih... as I do in my God. Oh and if anyone notices, there is a shout out to my gifted friends in here. It's probably not too hard find, but I am blessed to have them in my life and their awesome talents.**

Gosh he is so cute just sitting there with his red trimmed mouth hanging open and his emerald optics open just as wide. Three perfect O's.

"Well I'll be! View!"

I loose sight of the yellow medic as the burly green dump truck wraps his arms around me and squeezes all the air out of my chassis. "Slog," I manage to squeak.

"Slog, put her down! They are about to start!" The white cement truck-femme admonishes him from behind holding their toddler.

See this is the part of the service where we make our greetings before the main part of the service starts. Seeing everyone settling down, Slog shoves Sprinter to the side so I am wedged between the two mechs. It's kind of sweet and comforting and yet I felt bad for Sprinter being shoved around. Slog didn't mean it in a put down fashion at least, thank goodness.

Sprinter flushes when we are wedged in like bots on a war transport touching each other. It could be worse, at least these two are gentle bots in a church not bullies in a bar.

I too notice the service is about veterans. At one point, I can't help it, the three of us had served in the same faction and there are a lot more ex-Autobot in this church, thus we are the minority: I hold both their hands. We had fought and served hoping for change. I have no idea what made Sprinter join, but I do know what made me and Slog join. Kaon is his home and he was tired of being put down and pushed around by the elite.

Looking over at Sprinter, I see he is looking down at our hands flushing hard. Once the music changes to one where we clap along, I notice he doesn't. He's still looking at the hand I held for a moment of comfort. Have I done something wrong?

I look over to Slog and bite my lip. Slog furrow his brow, looks over to Sprinter for me and then looks back to me with a wink. A wink? What in the world is he implying?

No time to ponder. Here comes the main message. It's one about taking the lots in life Primus has thrown at us and doing something with it.

"Like an artist, with a choice of mediums, what will you do with them? What is your gift? Primus know I can't cook to save my life, but on the other hand, my mate has too much anxiety to stand before all of you and preach. Thus she keeps me fed with food and I keep you all fed with the word.

"Now for some of you, it is -or is not- sparkling care. For others of you it is poetry, music, teaching, drawing, literature or even medical. Weather it is the healing of the mind or the body. I certainly can't stand the sight of spilled fluids. Ick!" And he feigns wooziness.

Slog reaches over me to slug Sprinter in the shoulder. I can't help but giggle to another hand coming from behind to tap the other yellow shoulder, and another on his helm. I thought for sure Sprinter was going to melt and slide under the pew. He is so cute when he flushes. Is he not used to being seen as a hero?

The deacon sees it too and points a finger at him laughing in support. Respectfully, the deacon says nothing directly to him, but moves on. "Now it may not seem fair, but we all know there are some out there who seem to have gotten more than their fair share of gifts. One of my dear friends has been given the gift of literature, musical skills, and can draw with anything shoved into their hand. That's just doesn't seem right! I can't even draw a stick figure! On my other side, I have another friend who can sing, dance, model, and speaks four languages. Yes, I will admit, I ask Primus, 'What the frick is up with that?' I can barely speak Cybertronian! Have two left feet and wouldn't know which end of stylus to use.

"Does it make me down? Does it make me sad? No. Because if we were all artists, there might not be enough people to appreciate it. And where am I going with this, you ask? When you see an opportunity, do you take it? If you see a gift, do you use it wisely? Can you teach? Do you encourage others with it? You do you waste that gift and let it pass by when there are those that need you? When you see a hurting petrodog, do you ignore it and walk on by or do you stop and mend it with the gift you have or take it to someone who can?

"When Primus puts that person in your way and you feel that tug in your spark, do you take the time to talk to them and encourage them? They could be your very next best friend or… who knows. Maybe they are the mate Primus has put in your life and you just haven't noticed. Are you going to let them slip away… again?"

I feel Sprinter stiffen. What is he thinking? What is this stirring in my spark? I find my helm turning and there I see two green pleading jewels staring back at me.

Oh.

I heard nothing else for the rest of the service. It all fuzzed out on me. Memories took over.

_Slog and I ran as fast as we could. That round Ultra Magnus fired was coming straight for us. I grabbed the last cache and bolted. Slog kept bellowing for me to keep moving. I had speed, he had longer strides and yet it wasn't enough. The impact of that red star missile blew the fox hole into a crater. It sent me flying and pulling the ground out from under Slog._

_"MOVE!" It was that voice! And then the whine. On great, the Autobot General is firing the other missile too._

_Slog and I moved. The bolt of violet leaps over our heads, leading us to the protective barrier. Slog and I ran following Shockwave. And we made it just in time, being showered by debris. Unfortunately, shrapnel came down and pinned our CMO to the ground._

_Knockout orders grimacing in agony, "Get them out of here, Shockwave!"_

_"Not with out you," the fellow commander fires back. The red one furrows ready to snark, but the purple one finishes by checking out our path of retreat. "I like my helm attached. And if I return without our Chief Medical Officer, rest assured, Lord Megatron WILL remove mine."_

_"Why Shockwave, ouuugh, who knew you were so vain."_

_We all know Knockout's in bad shape. He has to get to that transport, quickly. But Shockwave snorts to the vainest mech in our ranks, "Hardly. Be assure, your title is safe."_

_Several mechs chuckle to the serious mech chiding the other about his quirk. Knockout prepares to fire back, but once again is cut off. "Slog, get him. You, get him. (he orders me to help a like sized mech runner) Knockout, Pummel, I've got you. Ready?"_

_We all nod. He waits until our Seekers streak over and then barks, "MOVE" And we do. My patient and I can move faster and hustle leading the pack. Quickly I drop him at the triage and seeing another Autobot Air Strike Team coming in, I race back and take Knockout off Shockwave's side. The other one is too heavy for me, and Knockout can still hobble, while Shockwave throws the more injured one over his shoulder. We hustle and make it behind the transport's shield before the bunker is blown to bits._

_Sinking Knockout to the floor beside the yellow and red medic, I ask, "What can I do?" With our chief medic down and Hook scrambling like mad, I know I can ferry supplies to the various medics if ordered. Instead, he takes my hands and presses them hard into Knockout's bleeding side, "Don't move. No matter how he squirms, don't let up!" Our transport begins to take off closing the ramp behind us. Shockwave reaches his cannon out the closing space taking out a few anti aircraft guns trying to stop our retreat. Primus that concussion sound ripples through my frame in an exciting tingling way._

_Knockout swearing at the young medic, brings me back to my patient. And then Knockout sighs becoming more coherent seeing the other patient Sprinter is trying to stabilize is in far worse shape than himself. Knockout weakly orders me instead, "Use your knee. Because I need your hands to hold onto the wound in my shoulder bleeding out. Peal back my shoulder plate, please." I did exactly what he said and almost heaved. The damage was hideous where a piece of rebar had sailed right through tearing the solar plexus in the process. Pressing as hard as I can with both my hands and knee, he begins to fade, "Good femme, good femme…"_

_"HELP!" I manage to scream out. Tears stream down my face as the young yellow medic races back with our Vice-CMO. I never expected this when I signed up for the war. Pinning a doctor to a deck plate while he bleeds out under my hands and pedes…._

"View, come join us for lunch."

"Huh?" I intelligently respond to a voice bringing me back to the safe present.

A big warm hand cups my elbow, "You alright?" Numbly I nod. His hand squeezes again, "Look I live just a round the corner. Seeing how it's Veteran's Day, why don't you and Sprinter join us. A couple guys from the old days and new days are going to be there. More than enough food. Please?"

I look over to Sprinter. He shrugs with that cute little smile of his, "I'm game. I could use a fresh meal. I hear 'Crete makes a mean macaroni salad."

I don't want to feel like a party crasher and try once more, "I have nothing to contribute." I roll my wrist to the stage, "I haven't one of those talents he was talking about."

Slog rumbles his deep delightful chuckles, "Still play volleyball?" I flush. I am a kickaft player. He hooks one arm around my shoulder and one around Sprinter's, "Looks like I have two more players for my side!"

Peering around Slog's bulking chest it's my turn to plead with Sprinter for help, "Save me?"

Turns out, Sprint and I make a pretty good two-bot team against a Vehicon and his mate an Eradicon. My speed made for very few of their volley's hitting the ground, and Sprint know exactly where to set me up for the spike.

Not to say they didn't get a few points on us. But those had to be the times I was too busy watching Sprint's door wings twitch or the smirk in his vibrant optics. One time it plunked me right in the face, smooshing my nose.

His poor optics went wide and was at my side swiftly. No blood but boy howdy did it sting! And then Slog's little tike pulls her thumb from her mouth, "Need my Mama to kiss it and make it better?"

I giggle, "No it will be fine."

"I dunno. That look painful. You da doctor, whada ya think? She need a kiss?"

Sprint smiles and he does it. He actually kisses the bridge of my nose! "Yeah, I think that's just what the doctor ordered."

"Seeeee, told-ya" The little shyster plunks her thumb in her mouth and toddles away.

"We going to play or what?" the blue-black flyer taunts.

Saving my dignity, I pick up the ball, spin it on my finger and bap it over, "How's that Kevin!" It bonks him on the helm top. And just for that, Stevie kisses the struck zone. Sprint giggles so hard I though for sure he was going to bust a seam.

"Oh yeah?" The ball comes sailing back. Oh now it was getting good. A really war.

Sprinter and I ended up loosing but only by a couple points. All was good and it was most certainly fun. As the lights came on, and 'Crete began cleaning up, we guests take the hint. Sprint and I made our farewells (after been shushed off clean up three times) and headed out the back gate.

"Can I walk you back to your car?" The gentlebot asks.

I point to the apartment on the north west corner. He sniggers and points to the one on the south east. We can't help but laugh harder.

Is this what our deacon was talking about? Is Sprinter the medium in the life painting of my future? Or am I his? Or am I just looking too hard for something after finding out about Shockwave?

I think he feels it too, because he takes my hand and curls my fingers around his bicep. He is going to see me home. My dad would be so happy. So would Couper. Taking me across the street, he sees me to my third floor apartment. At the door, he asks.

"Can I take you to dinner sometime?"

I can't help but giggle a little, "Maybe we should be taking cooking classes."

And to my astonishment he smiles, "That actually sounds like fun!"

And quite honestly it does. We trade numbers and I promise to look it up. Then comes that tense moment. I know he likes me and he's sweet but, I don't want to lead him on. That's just too cruel and I'm not one of those femmes. So I give his hand a squeeze, "Thanks, Sprinter, I'll call you soon."

He seems mixed between upset and yet relieved. Instead he squeezes too and steps back. Accepting my comfort and yet understanding I am not a player. Smiling he encourages, "As soon as you know, I'll arrange my schedule at work."

"Okay." He motions for me to open the door. He won't leave until I'm safely behind my door. Oh my goodness he is such a gentlemech, can't help but flush. So I make it inside and close the door to his smiling face. I feel bad about closing a door in his face, but this is not the end…. I hope.

Hearing his pede steps disappear I dash to my window and crawl into the window seat. If he's going to see me home, the least I can do is watch to make sure he does. I watch his confident form stride across the street and then across the other. At the main building's entrance, I watch him turn back to me and wave. I wave back, and he goes in.

In a few short moments, I see a light turn on in the fourth floor apartment straight across from the church. To my astonishment, a door winged silhouette settles into the window frame. Oh my goodness! It's him!

I just… can't believe it. Right there within my sights… all along? And I never knew…?

No, I can't do this! This is crazy! Unrealistic. Come on you stupid femme! Just yesterday you cracked your head on the floor after seeing lusty infatuation fade out of your dreams forever. Playing with Sprinter's spark on a rebound it just plain evil! How long will it be before he realizes you are still aching for another mech who you will never get? A bonded mech at that!

I curl out of the window and away from a cruel reality. Stripping I climb into a hot bath and let it sear my body and pathetic thoughts. Sure spending the day with Sprint was fun. There's no doubt about it, he's cute, fun, adorable, heroic, smart, loyal and a gentlemech… but just because I cookie is set before you, doesn't mean you should take it.

No, I just can't. Not until I have my head on straight. But maybe it won't be bad to take it slow? I mean there's nothing wrong with having a good time with a friend. Right? I could use a few more friends. Can't we all?

"So my sister said you were at 'Crete and Slog's with a yellow door winged mech. Hum, would he by any chance work at Kaon General?"

"Shut up, Musty," I try to shrug her off the subject heading into the office with my reports. Too bad my red cheeks give me away.

"Oooo, do tell!" She tries to push in behind me.

"There's nothing to tell. I ran into Sp- the medic at church and Slog invited a couple veterans over for a bar-b-que. That's all. No big deal."

"That's not what I heard," she tries to push for more gossip. I narrow my gaze wondering who is spreading what crap around about me. "I heard he kissed you. Now, out with the details!"

Steve is not helping by silently smirking behind his mug. So I slam the board down making everyone in the office look at me. Gosh this is nuts! "He kissed me on the nose. The NOSE because I got hit by a ball and he did it to appease a toddler. So there! All the hot steamy gossip. Now, can I go?"

Musty smirks not dropping the subject, "Why? Got a hot date?" Shit if my cheeks just had to flame hotter and she squeals, "OOOOH really now!"

Growling I shove past her, "I have a cooking class. Ooo, real hot stuff."

"Someone's in the kitchen with View cooking up a little batch of Love Potion Number 9... humm?" Gosh she worse than a sixth grader!

I look past my candy apple enemy to my boss who is sniggering, "I think this is called harassment? And I'm done for the day. Oh and Musty, since when am I delivering to the hospital again?"

Musty points to my boss, "He redid the routes, not me."

My evil stare is all I have for my boss. I swear everyone is out to shove me into Sprinter's arms. And I just….

I slump my shoulders in defeat, "Look, all of you. I know you mean well, but honestly, leave me alone. I have a few things I need to sort out and dating or jumping into a romance, it not a good idea for me. Someone is going to get hurt and I'm afraid it won't be me. Alright? So just… stop helping."

Steve walks around the corner of his desk. Wrapping an arm around my shoulder, escorts me quietly away from the others and to my locker. "View, have you ever had a relationship?"

"With a fantasy." I finally admit. "But that was during the war. I just… I don't know what is wrong with me…. but I do know this, I don't want to rush. I can't afford to screw up."

"Then don't. Ignore Musty and the others, but don't ignore an opportunity. Sounds like this mech is willing to take it slow too?" I stop and gape at him, who has he been talking to? He shrugs with his own cute all-knowing smile, "'Crete called me. Friend of the family, you might say. She said you and this yellow medic had a good time laughing and just goofing off. She said she hasn't seen you cut loose in such a long time. Did you have a good time with no pressure?"

I nod. Yeah, it was fun just goofing off. "That is a real relationship. Being comfortable with each other. Letting someone kiss your boo-boos. Letting a mech escort you home and asking nothing in return. And playing in the kitchen, sweet, cute…. wise."

Now I just have to stare at him, "Tell me again what you did during the war?"

He smirks, "Transport coordinator."

I gape, "So is there anyone on Cybertron you don't know?"

He thinks hard, "Hum… if not, I soon will. Now, go. You need to get clean up before you meet that medic. I'll stall Musty." My helm lowers, but he lifts it back up and leans in, "And View… take a chance. Have fun, but don't turn it away a chance. I reminds me a story I heard:

"A flood comes. The father and family crawl onto the roof. The water rises and they pray. A mech comes by with a boat. And they turn it away saying Primus will save them. Then a helicopter comes by. Again they turn it away saying Primus will save them. Once more the water rises and a shuttle craft comes by, once again, turn it way. Sure enough, the flood washes over them and they drown. Standing before Primus the father cries out, 'I prayed for you to save me! What happened?'

"Primus returns, 'I sent you a row boat, a helicopter and an shuttlecraft. You turned down everything I sent you.'

"View, don't turn down the shuttlecraft."

There is nothing left for me to say. I just nod. A silent ride to the culinary school and I make my way inside. He's not here. I take a seat in the back and watch. I can see mother-son team. A couple single fathers. A couple squealing ditzy femmes looking to pick up mechs. A couple shy mousey femmes. There are various reason's we are all here. But my thoughts are soon pulled into the instructions. And then, a scent of antiseptic and soft cologne reach my nose. My spark leaps. It was the same scent I sat next to yesterday. It's the same scent that played ball with me. It's the same scent that warmed my dreams last night.

I turn ever so slightly and he winks at me. I can see he had raced in, but he made it.

The cooking class is so much fun. Sprinter is so cute in the way he measures the ingredients perfectly. I'm not sure if it's his droid half or his medical side, but it's… cute. I'm a bit sloppier in the way I mix the batter for the cake. He laughs at how I frost the lopsided cake. The way he bites his lip, I know it's bugging his perfectionist side. But his silly side, cuts the funky piece out first and eats it, "I have no idea how you did it. Looks awful, tastes great."

Man, if we were some where else, I might dump the cake right on his sunshine yellow helm! Instead, I take his perfectly symmetrical lasagna and move the olives out of alignment. His jaw drops at my audacity, and then laughs.

So he can laugh at his own perfectionism and I can take a jab at my quirks as well. If I'm not careful, I could fall for this mech. Hard. Harder than Shockwave's perfect aft.

As the weeks progressed, Shockwave's aft wasn't even showing up in may dreams anymore. They were replaced by a pair for fluttering yellow door wings. A single golden optic did not shine down on me anymore. No, a pair of dark jeweled ones were halving as they moved in shoving the commander off my berth. And it wasn't that Tarn accent that gave me that civilian dream elicit overload. No, it was a tender Praxian-droid one.

Boy was it hard to face him for the final cooking class after THAT dream.

When the cooking classes came to an end, we celebrated by cooking at my apartment and inviting Slog and 'Crete over. A nice dinner with friends. The older bonded couple left after dessert and I headed to the kitchen finding Sprint already doing the dishes. I know better than to tell him to leave them, so I join him. When the last dish is put away… I walk him to the door.

"View… can I date you?" He knows not to court me because I'm not ready for that kind of seriousness. Finally I nod. "Thank you," he whispers.

I don't open the door. Nor does he. Instead, he lays that soft palm of his against my cheek, and I find myself leaning into it. A soft touch. A caresses. One I read about and dream about, but now it is real. He leans in closer. I know it's coming. I'm ready. I want it this time.

His soft red lips are just a press. Is that all he is going to give me? Is he waiting for me? I reach and hand out and touch the first piece of him I can. His waist, and tug. His lips move to get a better hold. I move my own to get my own hold on his.

I can taste the tang of dinner's sauce and the vintage-Energon. But there's something else. Moving closer, I need more. I take a better grasp of his tender sweet lips, and he parts letting me take what I want, stroking my cheek in encouragement.

I didn't mean to, but my tongue tip touched his lip. I just wanted a better taste… his chest hitches and he lets his own tongue tip touch mine. Oh Primus… He's reaching out for more. How far am I willing to let this go?

I swipe at his tip again, just to see what he will do. He matches my move, and then pulls back slowly, curling my helm to his shoulder. I understand. Our first kiss. It doesn't need to be hot and passionate. Take it slow. Don't get carried away with the moment. Don't do anything stupid and screw up what we have.

I slip my arms around his wasist and snuggle into his frame. His arms wrap around my shoulders holding me close and just absorbing each other. I can stand here forever. I don't want to let go. Neither of us wants to. How do you part from a situation like this?

**beep beep beep**

Oh that's how. His phone. Not letting go of me, he answers it. "Sprinter here…. Hum, yes. Understood. On my way," and closes it.

Before he can apologizes or make excuses, I reach up and plant a parting chaste kiss to him, "I'll be waiting for your call."

"And I anticipate giving it to you."

I release him some how and watch him slip out the door. But not out of my life. Racing to the window, I watch him dash straight to his car and take off. He doesn't wave back to me, and I'm okay with that. His priority is the hospital, and I can handle that.

Oh crap. I'm in love. This isn't an infatuation. This is the real thing. It's so much more incredible when you can feel the emotions coming back at you.

I can't help but giggle. Sorry Shockwave, but my infatuation with you pales in comparison having the real thing in my arms. Heh, as husky and dreamy as you were (yes I did say were) you have been replaced by a smaller lither and lighter mech.

Goodbye Fantasy Shockwave.

Welcome Real Sprinter.

"I'M IN LOVE WITH SPRINTER!" I scream not caring if the whole city hears me!

**a/n 3 maybe 4 chapters yet to come! See if you can guess who the extra bot's POV we are going to see?**


	5. A Clear View

**A Clear View**

**{back to Sprinter's POV}**

Rushing to the hospital, I know I should be focusing on the train wreck of patients that will be coming in, but my lips are still tingling from her kiss. Our first kiss. One that I have been dreaming of for … eons.

Various scenarios had gone through my mind for years as to how our first kiss was going to happen. A cute kiss with a stolen sweet between us. Taking her arm swinging her around, planting one on her as she ran out on a mission. Her finally seeing me as an interest and snatching me in the commissary line. Then of course there were the passionate ones where I just pull her from her seat, bend her over my am and kiss her in front of everyone leaving her wilting. Well, one has to have an imagination when you have very little else going for you among warriors.

I'd even had serious thoughts of waking her on that table in the med bay with a kiss, until I heard her cry out Ihis /I name. And then, I was crushed. From there… quite honestly, I never thought there would be a real first kiss.

Well there was one reoccurring dream I'd had. One where I come up, (looking all big and burly not scrawny like I really am), yank the purple commander's arm off her waist, clock him one across the left cheek, sending him to the floor. Then I pull her roughly, possessively against me and ravage her savagely. And she likes it, screaming my name for more as I escalate things right there over his prone stunned form….

Yeah, well femmes aren't the only ones with wild imaginations that have no actual validity in the real world. And Shockwave is nothing but a gentelmech when it comes to the femmes. He maybe deadly to foes, but when it comes to civility, he is king. One more mark against the rest of us mechs when it comes to courting the femmes. He knows just how to swoon them with his polite words, even with out realizing it.

I can't help but beam now. Hopefully by our next kiss, she will never even remember he existed.

I know that was a bit harsh. It's not Commander Shockwave's fault that he was created handsomely attractive with that perfect body and alluring voice crowned with dignity and grace and extreme intelligence all wrapped up in humility. That's all Sabath's - I mean Primus' fault.

Oh crap, time to close up these thoughts and get focused on my patients. I can see the incoming Life Flight and string of ambulances. It's going to be a very long night.

And I was so right. I'm so exhausted I can't even think about how to get home. Right now K-G can't afford to be down one more medic. I slump my way down to the ICU ward to check on one of my littlest patients. Coming out of her room, I see Dr. Cole exiting hers. His face is grave. Damn. I knew it was touchy when I sent her up here for surgery. Laying a hand on my shoulder, it's a silent comfort among a fellow medics when we loose a patient.

"Parents?" he asks softly in our loss.

It takes me a moment to find my tired voice. "Mother died in route. Father on his way in from Tarn. Little brother -"

Cole points to the next room, "He looks a lot better, not to worry. His father will have someone waiting for him when he arrives. What happened?"

My door wings are so tired I can't keep them anywhere near up right, I yawn and begin to list. "Come on, you can have our bunk." I'm ever so grateful to the doctor. There's no way I can drive home. I would end up causing another accident.

As he leads me to their on-call doctor's berth, I give him the details I do know, "Some one jumped the arms into the path of the passenger train. Looks like some yahoo thinking they could make it. We won't ever know for sure. They are still picking pieces of him out of the sight. I'm just glad I'm not on the investigation team."

He nods, "Yeah, I saw the sight. My goodness that's a huge mess."

I gape, "Wait, you drew Life Flight duties and now you're on call?"

He laughs covering his own yawn, "Oh no. I'm off duty now. I've got a my own chauffer coming in." That one I have to stop and stare at him for a moment. I know his family is well off, but seriously, a chauffer? He must have read my mind because he laughs heartily, "No, not like that."

With that, he flicks a hand to a blue motorbike mech giving him a wave from the nurses station. "Be right there," he lets his friend know.

He leads me into the room and helps me pull my door wing kibble off, "So how were those cooking classes? Were they really that much fun for a date?"

Keeling over, I nod. "Yeah it really was. I think I won't starve any more and might be able to save up for…"

"Sprinter?" Cole asks me as my optics are dropping off into the darkness of sweet stasis.

"Mmm, a gem for View." I have no idea if I finished that sentence.. But it sure made for a nice dream to give View a garnet for her servo to match her trim. My maybe even a blue topaz to match her optics… or…

~~00~~~

The next few lunar cycles of our dating seem to fly by. Sweet kisses, walks in the park, games of volley ball at the lake…

It's getting serious. I can't go a day with out talking her via text or vocally. I'm holding her longer and longer each date. Our kisses are getting deeper and harder, but not quite crossing I that /I line yet… but my dreams sure are.

And I've needed quite a few cold showers. And let me tell you, that trick still doesn't always work, and I'm not talking as medical professional either! Not when you are that fevered and that hot and the femme is that gorgeous in soul and body mixed with that talent of kissing… Nothing will stop that pressure-pain except the thought of her with you forever.

And as pained physically some of our dates leave me, my spark is twice as bad. I've loved her for eons. I've needed her even longer. Several nights I awaken hot and hard finding my room lit by my spark plates pulled back crying out for hers.

I have to do something. I have to bite the bullet, as the saying goes. This is one of those very dicey situations, though! If I approach her and she says no, will that be the end of us, or just time to back off and wait? Does it make me look too aggressive and pushy if I even ask?

After all, she joined the ranks under-aged. She's matured faster than many femmes. View is a lot more independent than many other femmes I know. And I'm not the easiest person to deal with either. I'm a perfectionist, she is …not. Can I handle stuff not being in it's perfect place? Can I afford to live without her and not take a chance? Sounds like I need to do some deep meditation.

~~00~~

Three days later, I take the risk. I take her to the market where the artisans are. To my luck, another mech kneels down and asks a femme right there before her parent's stall. I thought it was very romantic, and I'm carefully watching View's reaction.

Dang it, she's watching mine! This whole day is going to go to pot if I say the wrong thing. She must know me well enough, "Let's give them some space." Dumbly I nod and we back away from the crowd congratulating the young couple.

When we are quietly away from everyone, I find a way to approach the subject… I think. "View… I've… never…." Okay this was a stupid way to start a proposal, but I felt I needed to be honest with her. The rest is a rush, "I'm a virgin!" Primus I'm an idiot. Slamming a palm heel to my fore helm, I drag my fingers down my humiliated face.

Dead silence. Perfect. Way to go you dolt, Sprinter. Way to show her what a studdly mech you are. Right about now she's probably thinking about how many that violet mech as berthed and how I don't stack up to him for not even boinking one!

"Sprint, look at me." I just can't.

She giggles lightly. Great, just to rub what's left of my mechly dignity into dust. "Sprint, how long ago was it me curled up in a ball afraid to look at you?" That throws me off my dejection track. My wings and optic perk to her.

Stepping closer, she loops her wrist around my neck and swirls her thumb and finger tips along my wing tips. Oh Primus the femme is evil. And those lips, she whispers against mine, "I'm a virgin too. Certainly going to make our bonding night very special, hum?"

Whoa! Wait! What? Huuh?

You have no idea how hard it is to think when a femme this wonderful presses against me, stealing my breath and teasing my wing tips after taking my proposal right out from under my pedes. I can feel her spark thumping against mine and my own body is heating and her tongue slips between my stunned lips. I swear she's trying to steal my virginity with just her mouth and I'm more than ready to give it to her.

"Femme you are playing with serious fire here!" I rasp trying desperately to keep my hands in a respectful position.

"Then bond with me, and soon!" She presses the issue.

"Like now?" Crap, it came out as a plea. I bang my fore helm on her silver shoulder in heated humiliation.

Wrapping her sweet palms around my helm she allows me to hide my face in her. How does she do this to me. I had a plan. I have skill. I had an order. Had. Had. Had…

And then she walked into my life. And then I lost her. And then I found her. And now… I'm so screwed up. She's just what I need, and yet, I can't think with or without her. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Sprinter, did I mess up your plans?" In nod my head still afraid to look at her. She runs her hands into my nape trying to sooth them. Primus she feels so good. I could stay right her for the rest of my life with just her in my arms I need nothing else but just her in my arms.

"I'm sorry. Do you want to try again?"

This time I roll my forehead from side to side. She burned away my plan. I was going to take her to the gem stall and have her tell me which one is the most beautiful and then kneel before her right there, but that other couple beat me to it. And then her kiss blew my mind. I feel like such an idiot.

"I know how you feel."

My helm comes up to look into her optics asking quite seriously, "Are you telepathic?"

Her laugh is so sweet and light especially mixed with her blush. "No, just empathic. I very much understand how it feels to have your plans blow out from under you and well… feel humiliated in front of someone important in your life."

Damn, **him** again. Will I ever be able to pull out from under his violet shadow? Stepping back I feel the bile rising. I'm this close and then again this far away from her spark. I can feel my face pull into a sneer. I won't shove her way, but I will walk away. I refuse to play second fiddle to a legend. My whole body bristles and my optics turn cold and hard. I can't do this. I turn and walk away. I have to let her go. I would rather die lonely and cold than have her bonded to me just because she can't bond with him. Screw this! I might be half droid, but I'm not stupid. I will not sacrifice my spark in such a humiliating manner.

"Good bye View." I whisper and turn my back on her. I am releasing her from my life, and it hurts like hell.

"What the hell!" She screams at me. Yes screams. "Sprinter! Sprinter? " And then I hear her approaching. I will not turn. I will not be humiliated further. "How dare you walk away from me with out even an explanation!" She grabs my arm, but I shrug it off and keep going fighting the welling tears.

This time her speed brings her to stand directly in front of me. Before I can move to the right or left, she has both hands on my biceps. They bulge with the curling of my fists. I can feel everyone watching us. Perfect. Public humiliation just to finish off what mechly dignity I had left.

Fine, she wants to know, I'll tell her. "You love him, not me. I can't do this. I will never be able to rise to his level." I expect to see her blush in acknowledgement of the truth: still passionately infatuated with a purple half-droid hero-god and I'm just a substitution.

That's not what I got. What I got was absolute honest confusion. Her hands slide from my biceps to my forearms, "What are you talking about, Sprinter? I'm in love with you. There is no one else. There never has been."

"Yes, there was. I'm not an idiot, View. I heard you cry his name just out of the vacuum chamber. I read your reaction to him in the ER quite clearly. I will not join with you knowing you are in love with him. Painful as this is for me, goodbye." Her hands slip from me in defeat and I step around her.

"You must really think I'm some kind of bitch to lead a mech on that way," her words are soft and pained. "I thought we knew each other better than that."

I had hurt her with my accusation. The last thing I wanted to do. Neither of us moves. In our own pain, we stand close enough to touch but are honestly miles apart. How could I be so stupid… I wish I could take it back but there it is. I burned my last chance with her. I can see the bridge going up in flames behind my back and I still hold the torch.

"Sprinter, I was young when I joined. I was a kid. I had just lost my father, and my baby brother. I was following my big brother into battle to hold onto what was left of my family. Of course my stupid little femmeling spark latched onto my god-like Drill Instructor. I was a child. He saved our lives. He was sexy and incredible and sweet."

Her voice hitches, "But he's not you. He's not real. You are. And if you really honestly think I still pulse like a stupid little star-opticed femme, then you are correct, you don't deserve me."

She turns and lays a hand on my shoulder, "You deserve a real femme. You are more attractive than a poster of The Guardian. For you have laughter and honest mistakes that I can live with. You have everything I ever needed and wanted in a real mech. Yes, I fawned over a dream, but you are a reality. And-" her voice cracks- "all I ever wanted."

Her hand slips from my shoulder to my door wing. Oh I'm so stupid. Her hand is slipping away. She's slipping away… I'm loosing her. I could loose this chance forever.

"Good- {hic} bye.. . Sprint- {hic}er…" her hand slips off.

"NO! Not again!" I find myself whipping around and catching her hand. Falling to my knee I bury my face in her palm, "Forgive me View, I am a fool. A fool in love with you and I just… I don't deserve you. But I will never, never abandon you. My love is honest and purely for you. Please, even if you don't accept my proposal, please forgive me for being a complete idiot."

Her other palm comes to soothe my helm. I feel the splotch on my cheek. And then, there it is. Her wet face burying into mine kissing my cheeks and nose and fore helm and and… wrapping her arms around me. She's clinging to me.

"My fool. My idiot. My love. Mine…."

I find it hard to breathe. Shaking I let my own tears loose. This was not the way I planned to propose to her, but at least the honestly was finally out there. I know exactly where I stand in the infatuation's shadow. I don't. I over shadow him. I am the only thing in her life. I will be her life.

Grasping her tightly I whisper, "So what gem do you want for your engagement mark?"

She snuggles in deep and tight. "I don't want a gem. I want a strip of your armor bound to my hand with your name engraved. I want there to be no question to whom I have pledged my spark to."

Can I clutch her any tighter? Can I be anymore in love with her? Can I feel her any closer?

"Thank you Primus…" I say my praise.

"Yes, thank you Primus," she answers the praise.

~~00~~

The difficult task does come to making the guest list and planning the ceremony. As we look over the list, I notice there is one name missing. And yes, I am the one to say it.

"You said you know where he works, right?"

Sitting there tying purple triangles to a garland she giggles at me, "Sorry Sweetspark, you are going to have to be a bit more specific. Who?"

I pick up a sheet of purple, "The Commander who gave us our final orders to find mates."

Her jaw drops. If it hadn't been for him, her life wouldn't have been saved. If it hadn't been for him, I may not have found her again. If it hadn't been for our fight over him, I never would… well I know Primus puts us all together, but, it only seems fitting to have at least one member of our own command staff. If he hadn't guarded Cybertron, there my never have been a home for us.

She drops the garland and come to me. I know she is checking to see if I have any lingering jealousy for the purple mech. I beam and twinkle my optics letting her know, no, I have nothing against him. For I know she was honest with me. I had been the fool, not her. And it wasn't Shockwave's fault either.

She smirks back, "So, who's your bets on who his mate is?"

I ponder and think thumping my stylus on my lip… hummm, then just for fun I tease, "Knockout?"

She roars with laughter Actually falls to the floor gasping for breath, "Primus NO! Shockwave would kill him before EVER bonding to the vain beast!"

"Fine! who do you think?" I am rather curious who she thinks it is. It's quite a fun game that we play with for the rest of the day while getting the rest of the stuff together for our bonding ceremony and make final arrangement for our new apartment. But in the end … neither of us guessed the truth.


	6. Mission Accomplished

Mission Accomplished  {a new bot's persepective, can you guess before their name is mentioned?}

a/n Credits: NightStalker13's universe completely, Timeflip belongs to my son Sunspot.

Walking inside the entry to Wave Industries and Technology, I take a sigh of pleasure. It feels so good to know something good came from all these vorns and eons of war. My spacebridges, yes, **my spacebridges** have brought a new advancement to our economy. True Cybertron has been getting back on it's pedes for quite awhile now, but still…. Every time I pull into this parking lot and see workers heading in to a productive occupation it does my spark proud.

No, I'm not the CEO of this company. Yes, some of my fellow Decepticon commanders and Autobot industrial commanders and I got this into a viable company. But after so many years of being in charge of drones, droids and soldiers, I just didn't want that on my shoulders any more. I was not designed for babysitting and corporate crap. Not when I had an opportunity to do what I always wanted to. I only ever wanted to design, create, and delve into the mysteries and majesty of science.

And then go home. To my mate. And now, my son. I just wanted a normal life. A peaceful life. Life as it was always meant to be. I was going to take it firmly in my grip and fight like hell to keep it!

So with a swift hand, I signed away my rights to be CEO. But do not take me for a fool. {amused huff}. After all, I am a genius with a head for numbers and seeing the vast potential possibilities. And I know my mate can not work down in the mines forever. I wish he wasn't there now, but I know the hard work is his sanity saver. Just as my office is mine. So I have my generous stocks holdings and have my said-input when it is vital. And say over my projects: Senior Draftsman at the helm of the company's direction.

Heading to the right, I bypass the elevator and get my cardio in by racing up the stairs. It feels so good to coming in and creating something that will better our people and our world. Exploration to other worlds as well. The next generation of scientists. {pleasant sigh}

As I reach the landing, I hear it. Looking out the back set of windows, I can see the monorail transport pulling it. Indulging myself, I watch as it pulls to a stop. Just beside it is one of our largest spacebridges. Bursting to life, it opens and several transports come through with various goods from Velectron. Swiftly the goods are transferred to the monorail. In no time it will be heading to deliver it's cargo to Vos, Tarn, Simfur, TBD, and Praxis.

Trade. Commerce. Prosperity. Productivity. Peace. If I prayed, I would say thank you to a deity. But I don't, thus all is right in the universe.

"Good morning, Shockwave," a soft femme voice comes to my side. She leans on the window sill with me watching the transport be loaded. "How is your son today?"

"Better. He is still home with a minor virus. His father is looking after him."

Her lighter frame giggles, "Oh that must be fun. Are you wishing you stayed home so there is less mess to clean up when you get back?"

Turning my helm from the loading docks, I narrow my gaze to her teasing. My secretary is incredible. Unfortunately she is correct too. The place will be a bit messier than if I was home with the sick one, but I know my mate is coming down with the same virus and it would be better if he was home resting with or son than pushing himself harder in the dirt and dust below.

"No, Timeflip. They need this bonding time together. They will be fine, and the house will survive. I hope…" I tease her back.

Timeflip has been more that a secretary keeping my appointments in line. She's been a bit of sentry as well in the early days of my parenthood. I hate to admit this, but if it wasn't for her, I don't think I would have done so well at balancing home and work life. She has two little ones and a mate. I'm sorry but one mate and one son is more than my poor perfectionist processor can handle on certain days..

I laugh lightly to myself. Yes, the greatly feared and cold sparked Decepticon Military Operations Commander and Guardian of Cybertron can barely handle one mate and one sick sparkling at times. She giggles back at me laughing at her laughing about my perfectionism.

There are only few who can get away with teasing me. She's lucky she is one, "Oh shut up," I lightly admonish her and push away from the window.

Getting down to business, she pulls up straight. "Your first appointment called. He's rescheduled for the afternoon, sorry. And emergency came up at his plant. Iacon HQ is asking for some more information to upgrade their bridge for an incoming dignitary with unique bio-signals. They would really like for him to rematerialize in one piece."

I nod, for her to continue. Iacon will not allow anyone else but me (or whom I direct) to touch their 'bridge within the government complex. It's an honor, I will admit, for the Prime and his counsel to trust a former Decepticon with that. But Optimus had made it clear, The Guardian will always have Cybertron foremost in his best interest. To that, he did have me pegged. This was my family's home and I will protect it. My son deserves to be raised in a planet of peace.

After all, that is what his father and I had fought so hard for. The Autobots as well.

"Shockwave?"

Pulling my thoughts back to the present, she points to my office, "There was an early morning special delivery for you. You may want to look at it first to find out if I need to readjust your schedule again."

Quirking my helm I tease her back, "You didn't steam it open first?"

Score one for me. Her jaw drops wide at the accusation, "SIR! I would NEVER!"

Canting the other way, I knew that statement was a lie. She flushes. She one of my most trusted allies. I know she had only opened my mail in help to my duties. If there was anything I really didn't want her to see, I would not have it delivered to the office. Hello, genius here!

Slapping her hands to the desk, she rises and thrust her little face into mine. If she had been a soldier, I would have slapped her for the disrespect. But I can see her defending her honor, and I trust her implacably. On numerous occasions she has covered or *ahem* lied for me so I can make it home to my family. Or dodge certain unpleasantries. She also has covered for a few of my most personal moments. Defended my most delicate of emotions.

I lean in to her defense baiting her to try lying again, "Yes?"

She purses her lips and snaps, "I never open anything labeled PERSONAL!"

"Personal?" It's my turn to jerk back and be shocked.

Oh she likes that! "Yes, sir, it's was labeled: "For Shockwave's Optic Only! FCSOO. I don't understand the C."

That sends a shiver down my back. C= Commander. Damn. Who ever is calling me by that title means it can't be good.

Swiftly I head to my office and lock the door behind me. Setting my briefcase down, I look at the express envelope from CyberEx. Purple and Orange. Express Overnight. Immediate Delivery.

Carefully I lift it and examine it for any trace of the sender. No return markings. Only the local depot. Not a good sign. Unconsciously I find a hand running across the scar on my belly. I don't want to go through that again. My spark quickens for fear for my son and my mate. My knee nudges the hidden compartment on my desk, releasing a pistol.

It's no surprise to us that in spite of the prosperity of Cybertron, there is still a bounty on my (and my mate's) helm. Prowl sends us the latest reports he comes across. True the number of bounties are lowering over time, but the stakes are growing higher. And no, Timeflip does NOT know about the bounties. There's even one out for our son now. And if this envelope contains … photos… I'm going to be sick. And then go ballistic. It's been a long time since I've gone Berserker, but I will if my beloveds are…

Okay, so my anxiety is running away with my spark and processor. Just because I'm a genius doesn't mean I'm not afraid. There is actually plenty to be afraid of out there. The trick to not let it get the best of you…. Like now.

Carefully I examine the envelope once more to see if there are any traces of explosive or bio-hazard chemicals. No, nothing.

Pulling an old dagger from my desk, I slit the envelope carefully. Inside is one flat sheet of paper. PAPER? Who uses PAPER anymore?

The water mark is a extremely faded lavender Decepticon logo. The points and triangles are scattered across the paper, not stuck together in the actually logo. But when the sigil is burned into your armor and your spark, you can identify it anywhere. And here it was with a hand written note.

Yes, ink… paper. Who….?

In the ancient Decepticon language (one that can get you executed for treason if it is ever found you to use it)

**Commander Shockwave,**

**Mission Accomplished.**

**Thank you.**

A date and location are printed neatly on the bottom corner. And then I see the signatures. Settling back in my chair I lay and hand to my spark. "Ohhhh," I hear myself sighing.

**_View & Sprinter_**

Looking back at the location again… okay I can enter the church for them. They aren't asking me to pray. No, they asked me to bear witness to their bonding ceremony. They did it. They found mates… each other. Shall I praise my mate's god? No, just another truth that fate can be kind.

"Shockwave," the intercom pings, "Is everything alright?"

It takes me a moment to find my voice but I finally answer Timeflip, "Yes. Just an invitation. Thank you," and I click off not allowing her to gain any more information. She will respect my wishes.

Looking down at the invitation again, I can't help but smile. I may have had a lot of bots under my command and I may not remember them all, but one does not forget those that save your life. Certainly not one that childishly moons over you or the one that pains watching her moon.

How would I know? Heh, I know far far too well. But like myself, it looks like they have moved forward with their lives.

Happily ever after? Ever after, yes, happily? For their sakes I hope so. For the most part, mine has been. I wouldn't change it for all of Cybertron's space bridges.

Congratulations Sprinter and View… you have my blessing.


	7. Sealing Fate

Sealing Fate

{The last mech I ever thought I would first-person. But when Sabath throws me a challenge… damn the plot bunnies just spawn. I'm biting my lip on this one with a cheeky grin to my… dear friend.} Warnings: He swears... a lot.

"No arguments, you **are** going," that jerks my head from the tablet where my son and I are trying to draw a great horned owl in flight.

He thrusts an overnight envelope in my hand, while he turns the tablet to see what we were drawing. I give him my seat and pull the secret away from my young son. My spark leaps to my throat for a moment. Official overnight envelopes rarely bear good tidings.

Nine times out of ten, it's a new list of bots hunting for us. Luckily my parents weren't the only idiots to name their kids after a murder. I just got lucky enough to be the most famous one with the worst reputation. No that's not the correct word, because it's all truth. I was a murder. I did help lead Cybertron to her destruction and then bailed with blood lust for my enemy leaving a hunk of dying rock in the hands of my most loyal soldier.

"Stop it, it's not that bad. Now open it."

Looking straight at said loyal soldier, I scowl, "You know for a half droid, you are rather pushy." I quickly toss back to him pushing my guilt to the back of my dry throat.

"Hum try saying that next time after you over draw the instant-account or can't find your glasses…. Again." He fires back rather smugly.

I can actually feel my optics pull to the center of my face and my glasses ride up. How dare he talk to me like that! I huff getting ready to fire back to the cheeky bastard when he points to our beaming little one. Right, no swearing before the child. Fuck! I'm not really mad at him, I could never really be mad at him. Just frustrated… a little.

The envelope is forgotten for the moment while I watch the two most precious things in my life interact. I never in all my life thought I would be here now. Bonded. A parent. A peaceful home. Loved. Pure honest love like Primus intended it all along.

Just like the colorful little Earth avian creature on the pad below me, that just boggles the mind how something so fragile can actually fly. Fly? No jet engines. No rocket fuel. No, just bits of fragile organic feathers and hollow bones lift this beautiful colorful creature…. Like love. For so long that word has been nothing but bile in my mouth. But a vibrant bolt of violet took a risk, and shined his golden light on me and spoke those three little words in a tone that just melted my coal black soul.

And I was crazy enough to accept it. Yes, crazy. See he was brave for offering his spark to a sick evil bastard, I was crazy for letting myself taint his pure life. I was sure I would destroy him too, but he was so sure I would not. For a mech who does not believe in a higher being, he sure has a hell of a lot of faith.

And then… he agreed to create a new life with me. I had destroyed so many lives and yet he said it as alright to create one with him? Brave. Crazy, I said yes. And the perfectionist was right.

*achew!* I swiftly snap my attention back to our son. He wipes his nose on his arm, too eager to show his mother everything we did to day to use a tissue. Ever the clean freak, Shockwave shudders. And then our little one yawns.

"Come on, let me get you ready for bed. I promise, your father will stay with you tomorrow."

"Excuse me?!" Oh shit! *Achew* Fuck. How does he do that? How does he know just when these things happen? "Is this another of your experiments?" I chide him. It's just too much fun to watch his reactions to such accusations.

"Who me? Bio hazard, uh no!" With that, he is whisking the littlest member of our family upstairs for a quick bath. At the top of the stairs, he points to the envelope still in my hand, "Read that before I come back down."

My face pulls into a pout. Sure it's childish of me, but damn it! When our sparks merged I swear he took some of my commander material and in return, I got a piece of his submissive side. I know that isn't fact, but times like this, I beg to differ. Sinking down to the couch, I can feel my systems heating with fever. Crap, I am sick and there's no way I can work in the mines with boogers all over my face or swaying in the increased heat. No need to push myself that hard and put coworkers or my myself in danger. There's too much we are all living for now. Reaching over, I take the tablet Ayreon and I spent most of the day doodling on. I would gladly feel like this physically in order to feel like this emotionally. I love my family. Four words, I never ever thought I could honestly proudly say, but here it is. **I LOVE MY FAMILY!**

I can't help but laugh wondering what my therapist will say the next time I see him. He will probably tease me about going soft in my old age. And honestly, he's probably right. Considering I should be dead at least a thousand times over. Infections, battles, incarceration, drugs, alcohol, cave-ins… I really should be dead. Why has Primus allowed me to live? Dragged me through one hell of a childhood to rage a war against my planet and body and now I'm in the lap of luxury with a perfectly devoted mate and a more perfectly healthy son? I don't understand Primus. He makes no fucking sense. Is he a god or a demon? A savior or a torturer? Better yet, why am I trying to figure him out? I'm not philosopher or theologian. What am I?

Hearing the water shut off upstairs, I know I better do as I am ordered. No need to get reamed from my mate again. Reaching inside the envelope I don't find a data pad. A sheet of paper? Paper? Okay, I am definitely interested. Carefully I withdraw it hoping not to tear it.

I can see the triangles of the insignia I branded my faction with. And I see the ancient language we used for our codes. But what throws me are the words. "Commander Shockwave, Mission Accomplished?" What the hell is that supposed to mean? Hearts? Date located at a church? What the fuck is going on?! I will have to wait until the former commander is ready to explain this. Great a few more things for this poor battle trod processor to comprehend. Ugh, I hate being sick. I can't think straight.

Soon enough he settles beside me with his cup of hot tea pressing one into me as well. He doesn't settle, he snuggles. Shockwave settling with sicky me? I will not deny him. I will never deny him anything. He is my life. My love. My eternity. So I pull him closer and hum, "So what is going on, Commander?"

"The scars on my back."

My hand stills on those healed over holes. One of the lucky mechs with perfect protoform skin, that heals nicely and rarely scars. Unlike some of the rest of us who end up wearing each one as a badge. But I remember those almost invisible scars on my love's back had something to do with phosphorous charges that easily could have killed him and taken out our whole med bay-

"The two bots that saved my life, are them." He flicks a finger to the paper.

I look down at him and gape, "And they waited until now to be bonded? Or is this their rededication vows?"

The warm frame leaning on mine chuckles, "No, it's not like that. See, he was infatuated with her during the war but couldn't do anything about it." He reads the pang of guilt over my face. He smiles, "Actually, it's kind of my fault."

"Excuse me?" How could Shockwave ever be to blame for keeping two bots from bonding. Sure, I know there were members of my troops that were bonded, some even secretly, but what would he-

He hems…., "See … she had her optic on another mech who didn't reciprocate the ummm, feelings because he had his own optic on another?"

At this point I have to adjust him so I can look into that guilty golden optic of his, "Uh?" Maybe it was the coming-on fever, but I was so confused. Why is he tiptoeing around this?

He wiggles his deft fingers, "Hello?" Then pokes me in the spark.

Man if someone had hit me with a seismic cannon I would be less stunned.

Just to top that off, cocks his antenna at me and crosses his arms across his well muscled chest, "Umph! You're not the only one femmes were drooling after, hot stuff!" Just for that, gets up and strides away to refill his tea rolling those damn beautiful hips of his. Healthy I can't think straight when he moves that way, but frying right now I just want to grab him and take him up on all that sexiness he is exposing! His armor covered aft isn't going to save him as I rip it off and -

I have to shake my head and figure out what the hell is going on. I'll fuck him twice over later. "Hold the phone! You're telling me I HAVE to got to a bonding ceremony for two bots stuck in a love triangle around you? WHY ME?" I can feel my head spinning and have to grab my crest prongs to keep it from taking off.

Did he really have to do that adorable thing that melts me every time? Did he really have to stoop that low with that damned sexy tone, "Please? They asked me to come and I think it would be fitting for me to be seen with my mate. Unless…"

He just had to say it and I kneeeew it was coming too, "You're embarrassed to be seen with me?"

We have already been over that. That issue is beyond dead and buried. Twice over when we bore a sparkling more than publicly proclaiming my love and bond hood to the purple mech.

Oh now I get it. He just wants me to actually say this. Fine! I growl out at him, "Do I have to dress up?"

There it is that cheeky smirk of his with the cute little cant of his snow white antenna. Man, I wish I could just swipe that smug look off him and twist those antenna into pretzels! Instead I roll my optics and huff.

Now now, I wasn't the Decepticon leader for nothing. I can get myself out of difficult situations. And most certainly being buffed up like some cake topper and being all polite and on my best behavior certainly classifies as a hellatious situation. I give my best fake cough and try rasping my throat deeper, "Can't too sick."

SLAP! Ow! Shit he can hit hard even if it was only in the shoulder. "Two weeks. You will be perfectly healthy by then."

Fuck. Guess I'm not getting out of this so easily.

~~~Two weeks later~~

"Will you hold still!"

I hate being fussed over! I just lights nightmares in me again. He must have sensed my bristling, because he steps back and lets go. Not touching me, he comes back into my line of sight so I can clearly see it's him, not **her** .

Even his tone drops softer, "You had an extra splotch of wax on your nape. I'm sorry."

I hate it when he apologizes. He has never done anything wrong and yet he constantly apologizes. No, it's my turn. I pull him back by cupping his cheek and soothing my posture, "I've been bonded to you longer than I lived in her house. I should apologize. Fuss all you want. This is your moment to shine. Make me presentable to stand by your side."

His perfectly glossed antenna wilt at the flushed heat from his cheeks. I know he always sees it the other way round, but I was invited as HIS date not the other way. Just to see how far I can make him melt, I lean in and soothe, "Beloved," and smile. He loves to see my fangs and I love to give them to him. He does melt further. I stroke his cheek again, "You are such a romantic making me get all dolled up. And you know I will do anything for you."

Numbly he nods. I have to do it, I kiss him. The feel of those soft holographic lips on mine are my own undoing. So tender, so sweet and graceful just like everything else he does against me.

"Mum! Dad! How do I look?"

I pull back feeling Shockwave is complete goo in my arms. I can't help but give a light laugh at my son wearing his bow tie on his hem instead of his neck. Lowering my cracking knee, I proudly get my son situated into a young gentle-bot. As handsome as myself capped with his mother's grace and dignity, he will be a spark breaker, no doubt about it. Femmes be warned.

And then I feel the touch to the sides of my neck. Oh Primus he really did put cologne on me?! And then just for that, puts a tiny dab on our young mech. He beams and preens thinking he is all big and hot stuff. Well… he is, he's mine. Ours.

"Go get your bag. Make sure it has your tablet and markers," Shockwave sends him off. Obediently, he does.

Straightening my own tie in the mirror I just have to ask again, "Why again is this so important to you?"

Putting the polishing wax and cologne away, he shrugs, "I just … like the thought that there are other couples from our ranks still finding happiness."

"You're a hopeless romantic for a supposedly cold sparked mech," I chuckle back to him in bewilderment. I might have been blind to his attraction to me during the war, but I was not blind to him having emotions. I knew when 'mix-breed' jabs stung him. I knew when 'cold sparked prick' was shoved towards him. I know that he was just a proper mech that left emotions out of the equations. That impressed me. But I had no idea at the time how passionate the mech really was. And let me tell you, when that vibrant mech lets go, he is quite passionate and unrestrained!

A light palm slides around my waist reminding me of his passionate love for me, "Hum, well I felt a bit guilt when I found out neither of them were bonded. Sweet they both are. Good bots. But yet she passed out when she found out I was a bonded-mother."

Okay that catches my full attention. I slip my own hand over his on my hip not wanting him to pull away until I get more information about this couple we are going to watch bond their lives together forever. He does keep going, "We have a fairytale romance and after everything we fought and struggled through, it kills me when I see love not taking a risk."

I have to scoff. I just had to. Holding that hand tight to my side, I tap the other one on his helm top, "Fairytale romance? Oh suuuuuure! You were infatuated with a murdering rapist who turned his wrath in to a war that nearly destroyed our planet and then I abandon you leaving you locked in a tower? All for what? Sometimes I think you need the therapy more than me." I huff again, "Oh yeah that's just the kind of mech all the femme's in Ayreon's class are dreaming about spending the rest of their life with!"

He tries to pull away at the scoff, but I won't let him. Taking that hand that held mine during my transformation from warlord to patient, I kiss the palm center. The taste of his healing grace always brings me comfort. I can never get enough of the taste of him on my lips or his warmth at my side. "And then you asked me to take your spark and your body and make it mine. And what did you get in return? Most certainly not a fair trade. You got a monster struggling with detoxification, blood lust, insanity and a sexual appetite-"

He presses closer and comforts, "That matches my own. You needed some one to care for you. I needed some one who needed me. You needed someone beneath you, I needed someone above me. You needed healing, I needed to fix something. I needed you, you wanted me. I wanted you, you needed me."

How can I argue with his logic? The mech is always right. "Always my perfect Shockwave. Forever." I kisses him again. This time to consume all the love he has to give me. Like an oasis, Shockwave keeps me alive. My life giving solace.

"Ewwww, again? Really?"

That's right, leave it to a youngling to break a romantic moment. I tug his antenna bud and smirk, "Get use to it kid, you're going to see a lot of it today." My mate buries his flaming face in my chest.

"Gross." And his little lilac tongue purges out of his mouth complete with strangling palms to his throat and sickly optics. Primus the kid is such a clown! I have no idea where he gets it from. I laugh and catch him before he falls to the floor in his over dramatics, thus ruining his waxing.

Leave to my mate to blame me, "Stop encouraging him." Say what?!

Some how we made it to the church on time without me being accused of much more. This couple has decided to have it outside under a gazebo. Cute. I have to admit, it's cute the way they have the place decorated. Purple triangles and red/white crosses. To some the triangles have a trinity motif (bride, groom and Primus) but looking around at several of the other guests (former Decepticon soldiers) we all know what the triangles really mean. For they are cut in a certain angle. I can't help but rub my chest were my own brand hides.

Something did come out of this war. A couple met. I look over to my mate, and together they saved a life. By saving his, they saved mine too. Wriggling into my lap, a new life. Hopefully this couple will start a family too. From what I have been told, they will be fine parents. Patience is most certainly on their side.

Soon enough, the ceremony starts with a burst of romantic music. Blessing from their deacon, vows exchanged and a candle lit….

I can't help but ask him softly once more, "Did I deny you this?" A chance to publicly claim me as his.

He looks around at the guests who really are Sprinter and View's friends. At the time of our own bonding, I had more enemies on both sides of the factions than allies. The only allies I actually had were Shockwave, Ratchet and incredibly, Prime. And even the document Prime signed making our bond official, I don't need.

Softly my bondmate shakes his head entwining our fingers. And I have to agree. The only vow that matters is the one I have made to my mate. We did not need witnesses to our commitment or some stupid official document stating we are legally bound. But that's just us. We just needed each other. He leans on me. Releasing his hand, I wrap my arm around his shoulder pulling him even closer to my side. Mine. And looking up into my optics with his mother's golden ones, ours. For eternity. Yes, out here in public, I lightly kiss the top of each of their helms while the couple up front takes their own vows of commitment.

Now that I actually have friends and a normal life, I can see how this is important for this couple to have friends and family gather and join in their celebration. It is very sweet of them to ask their former Drill Instructor to come share their celebration. I can see the irony of how my mate has been the tie that brought them together. Yes, the mech is more romantic that he realizes.

As soon as the ceremony is over, the party begins. This I'm not sure how long I can last in this social situation. In the past I used to be the center of a party, but now, being the center of my son's quite life is what I crave. That's right, you heard me. The former arrogant leader would much rather crawl on the floor in a tickle fest with his son than whooping it up with a pile of writhing naked femmes. Crazy? Nah, just took the right bot in my life. And so help me if Shockwave starts drinking in front of others and Ayreon. That mech who used to be so reserved, has become a bit more relaxed in the social situations. I will have to keep close tabs on his flutes. Sometimes he just gets a little too into a celebration. At home is one thing, but in public, the mech can be down right embarrassing!

I guide Ayreon to a back corner table while Shockwave gathers some treats. Getting out his markers and tablet, we try drawing some of the silly adornments the attendants have stuck on their helms. "Silly femmes," we giggle together, tugging at our own ties.

"Megatron," my mate gives my name a soft tug in his alluring accent drawing me to look up.

I turn and see the bride and groom pale. Three times the femme tries to find something to say gaping her mouth. Clearly she did not know I was the father of Shockwave's sparkling. Compounded with my old title… I know that look on both of their faces. They have no idea what to say to me or how to act or what to call me. Before, everyone was to bow down and pay homage to me. And now… I want none of that.

Leave it to my son to save us all, "You're pretty in all those sparkles!"

I have to admit he is right. The former supply runner does look femmely-pretty all decked in sparkling glass dots scattered all over her chassis and a tiara on her helm. The yellow mech is highly polished with something very expensive as well.

And to the femme's grace, she acknowledges the young compliment with a blush, "Why thank you…."

"Ayreon," my young gentlemech sticks his hand out shaking the bride's hand. "And this is my dad Megatron and my Mummy Shockwave." Pushy little twerp doesn't give me the dignity to introduce myself.

I can't help but shake my head with a soft smirk when he looks to me for confirmation as to how he handled the introduction. Saving the moment, I stick my own callused hand out, "Congratulations, View." Then I turn to Sprinter, "And you too, Medic Sprinter."

His voice hitches, "Uh, um.. Thank you.. Uh.. ?"

I knew I had to do something to drop the uncomfortable tension, "I remember the amazing fast thinking you did to save a coman-, uhh, Shockwave's life." Man that was close, almost blew it in front of my own son. Shit, I must be loosing it.

Ayreon's optics go wide, "Mummy? What does Daddy mean?"

View kneels down and takes my son's hands in her sparkled ones, "Your parents and I worked together a long time ago. Your mother saved my life by putting his own in danger."

Ayreon swiftly looks to his beloved mother, who is trying to look away at the compliment blushing. I know it was war and there were a lot of bots in my ranks, and now it comes rushing back….

Oh, shit. I banished the femme to a mining asteroid because I thought she had fucked up a mission putting a Commander's life in jeopardy. And Shockwave couldn't tell me what happened until it was too late. By then, I was too arrogant to resend the order. I was one of the reasons Sprinter and View couldn't get to know each other any sooner. Primus what an aft I was!

"I'm sorry, View." I finally choke out. I might be too many vorns late but, still. I had to apologize.

To her credit she smiles and shakes her head, "Primus works in his own time frame. It wasn't meant to be at that time. It helped me actually to get some things in perspective." To that she looks over to Shockwave. To his credit, he just looks stunned. Then she rises and looks straight at me dropping to very soft warm tone, "Are you happy, Sir?"

It was not a simple frivolous question. No, my soldier is asking for how my soul feels. I slip one hand into my bondmate's and another to my son's shoulder, "Very much."

She beams banishing all the rest of the tension, "Good. Then all is well and there are no regrets, hum?"

Sprinter nods and looks us all over. I can see, he is hoping to have what I have. A family. A home. Peace.

Sprinter sticks his hand out and I take it, "Thank you for giving me an opportunity to be someone…. Megatron" I have no idea what that means, but by the look on Shockwave, he will explain later. He finishes, "I'm glad you are both here to help us celebrate. If it wasn't for Primus putting both of you in our lives…"

Oh, he's onea thooooose. Ah, he thinks Primus guides all his direction. Uh, oookay. What ever float his shuttlecraft. I would not get into that debate with him, but will just nod respectfully. "Hum, yeah, something like that," hoping to end that piece of the conversation.

With that, their names are called and soon drawn away. Shockwave leans into me. After all this time, it's instinct for me to slip an arm around his waist and hold him closer. The most peaceful I have ever felt is when he is next to me.

"I love you," he whispers those three little words.

And that is all I will ever need. My fate has been sealed. We watch as View is taken in Sprinter's arms and let into dance. That look they share is one so rare and so precious. One that I am lucky enough to have.

Taking Shockwave's hands, I lead him into that first dance I gave him just after we bonded. The way he melts into mine perfectly, he knows what I'm doing. He remembers that moment too. The moment that I let him know, our bonding night was no mistake. I gave my spark freely and with him here and now, publicly I am restating it. Cupping his cheek, kiss him.

I am happily bound to Shockwave. My fate is perfectly sealed. "I love you, Shockwave."

~~00~~

a/n a few more chapters coming:

One {confirmed}

A Morning View {thinking}

And Afternoon Sprint {?}

A View of Evening {?}


	8. ONE

**One**

**bold= Sprinter **_italics = View. As __**One**_

_** watch?v=62eHtL8WbvA**_

**So what if it's corny, she's my bondmate and if I want to be sweet and romantic, then I will. And she doesn't seem to mind, even if her face is buried in my neck. She's just being cutely-shy as I carry her down the hall to my studio apartment. Tomorrow we will work on moving our stuff into our new apartment upstairs. Well maybe… depends on how tonight goes. Well, actually tomorrow morning. I have a feeling, I won't want to let her out of my touch, even if it is just to move junk.**

**As it is, I can't bear the thought of letting go of her for even at drink of water tonight. Come on, would you? After you have pined away for eons over an out of reach love…**

**I can't help but chuckle. My rival for View's spark is the only one who probably would understand completely. I laugh even harder. I know, why am I thinking about Commander Shockwave and Lord Megatron while carrying My View into my berth and finally claiming her spark physically as mine? Because it really is quite funny. Primus has a rather wicked sense of humour for being a deity.**

"_Sprint? What is it?" Lifting my head, I can see his thought have trailed off somewhere else. But he shakes his head. Apparently whatever has amused him will have to wait for privacy behind closed doors. Okay, I can deal with that. He's such a romantic. Carrying me over the threshold. I thought all the gentlemechs had been slaughtered with the rise of the modern media showing T&A and berth hopping all over the entertainment and vast Grid-networks. I though chivalry was dead or banished to live only in ancient fairytales._

_Snuggling into my own knight in polished honor, I can't be happier to be more wrong. "I love you, Sprinter. I hope you still love me even after you see what is within this chamber."_

_Yeah, I have to admit, I'm scared of revealing the deepest pieces of me. Sure we talked about bondhood. Sure I just took my vows to give my spark to him and to stay only his for eternity, but I still have a right to be nervous. After all, to bear one's very life force and expose all your demons to the other? There's days even I don't even like me._

_But he stops. Shifting me, I'm force to look into his confused optics._

"**View, it's alright. I'm nervous too. You may not like the way my thoughts are arranged and try to shift them, then I'll never find my keys."****I give her my best quirky smirk.**

**I had to do something. She was starting to retreat on me again. So close, and yet I could loose her again. This time to herself. Just a few more doors and I will have her safe inside our private space and give her my very life. Her spark will be safe with me for I know mine is safe with hers.**

"**Hold on, View. Just, relax." She nuzzles back into my neck. I can handle that. **

**Soon enough, "And here we are," I punch in the code and nudge the door aside with my knee. Stepping in, I push it closed with my heel and slowly let her slide to her pedes.**

**Yes, she's been here before, but this time it's completely different. We can't help but giggle. For so long we have been fighting back physical urges and 'naughty' touches. Now, they are no longer forbidden.**

**It doesn't ease the nervousness, although. Well, I think an easy way to start is to get comfortable. "I think I have lasagna," I wink to her.**

_How can you not giggle when mech tries to cut nervous tension with an inside joke? He's just so dreamy that way. And he's MY MECH! I can't resist and I DON'T HAVE to any more. I grab his cheeks and plant a hot kiss on him. Not just a hot one, but a needy one. He's not pulling out of this one with knightly dignity. _

_My move must have stunned him because his hands didn't move right away but his mouth sure dropped. And I am going to take full advantage of it. I delve in making it known, I plan to do the same to his spark._

**I need to hold onto something. The only thing available is her, not that I mind. As hard as she is crushing that kiss, I clamp my hands around her and hold her to my own frame. I know what she is telling me (even without a completed bond) and in grasping her this tight, I make it clear, I plan to hold her spark and life just as tightly to me. I'm never letting go of her. Ever.**

**No matter what she throws at me. No matter what storms come and try to tear to us ribbons. I am hers. I shall always be here for her. I shall always come home to her. She shall never ponder my love. She will know that I love her more than my own life.**

**Grasping the back of her neck firmly, I press back into that hot kiss. Primus, she is frying my sensors. I'm going to loose my frick'n mind if she doesn't get that armor out of my way. I growl.**

_He growled at me? What have I done to deserve that? Oh Primus, he's biting my lip. I'm going to keen if he does that again. Damn, he did. I have to grab at him to keep him from doing it again. But I want him to do it again. Shit, I can't think!_

_Dropping my hands down his back, I find the catches to his door wings. Now he's hissing? Good! There goes the second catch. _

_HEH! That was my -ooooooohhh, do it again, lover. Mmmm, yeah, right there along my aft plate seam…. _

Clink, crash, bang. Armor is shedding to the floor like scales from a dragon.

**Oh Primus, look at my mate in her glorious beauty. She is so much more beautiful than in my fantasies. I can't help but reach out and kiss a nasty scar on her shoulder. I shoot her my medic's optic asking what had caused this one.**

"_No, Sprint, no. Not now. Please, I don't want to think of the past. I need now. I need to know this is real. Please… touch me. Make me alive."_

"**Of course, my love… Of course," reaching down, I hook both arms under her lovely pert aft , lifting her pedes from the floor against my frame and kiss her past away. She will only taste my love. She will only feel me. She will not even feel herself. Only my hands, only my breath on her. She will feel nothing but my warmth, and soon, she will only feel **_**OUR**_** spark. **

**In a few steps I have us at my berth under the window. Yes I have the curtains drawn, but they are light enough for the twin moon light to illuminate her soft form.**

**I start at the scar on her knee where I had performed those repairs. My first caress to her body a lifetime ago. She smiles.**

_How sweet of him to start our love making with the first place he caressed my body. I am not a fool, I know that was the injury where he sent me to save my commander's life. But right now if my life depended on it, I can't remember his name. All I remember of that day were those soft green optics turning hard and pushing my past my limits of comfort. Pressing all his encouragement into me. Giving me his strength._

_Right now, those soft green ones are watching, reading my thoughts. I just nod understanding. And I take his hand, putting on the other knee, to pull him closer to me._

_He kisses my belly and then straight up my center. Oh Primus those lips are dangerous and tender. I knew his touches would be soft and caressing like a surgeon, not rough like a miner's, but his lips? I had no idea that body part can send signals like this through my frame. I'm tingling like a light EMP zap. And I want to be zapped again. Oh-right there!_

_My body moves on it's own crooning and reaching. Lord I only though you move like this on purpose. I had no idea your body can do it on it's own, like swallowing. And those sounds coming out of my throat. I made that?_

"_Oh, right … mmmm, there… OH! YES!" _

**With her hands guiding my kisses and caresses, I find her body singing to mine. Logic has been flung off like my greave. This is pure emotion and desire…. Passion. My head is not even here. I feel elevated and heavy at the same time. I am not controlling my moves. Nor is she. No, we are moving, swirling, arching, curling … molding into symmetry.**

_The time is coming close. I'm finding it hard to breath. I need more of him. I need him in me. Physically, spiritually, spark-ily. I need him to consume me. But I know… It's going to hurt. I'm scared and yet I'm aching. Rolling against him. My body is crying out for him. I __need him._

"_Take it," my body makes my voice whimper._

_His panting body rolls to my side. His beautiful lemon finger tips splay out across my belly. Just below somewhere in there is a seal that needs to be painfully broken. His finger tips are grazing and soothing. I think I know what he is thinking. How can you not fall deeper in love with a mech who knows he will be the one to bring you pain in order to bring you pleasure and claim you physically his?_

_I drop my hand over his, "Mate, it's okay. It's going to be fine."_

"**I'm the medic. I 'shall do no harm'. It goes against everything I am. I just… why does sit have to be this way?"**

**I know why Primus put the seal there in the first place, but still, it only make a mech-mate's guilt harder. Cruel. Unfair. I just can't help but hesitate. Sure there's bit of mech pride in being the only one to ever touch her, but not enough to quell my own pain. It hurts my spark to know I will be hurting her.**

**SPARK?! **

**My leap startles her. Planting my hands on either side of her helm, I lean in and beam, "You shall not be alone. I shall be right there with you.'**

_Okay, no duh, but what the heck is he thinking, "Uhhh ooookay." His smile is too cute and endearing. And them my optics go wide to seeing his chest plates separate. The most beautiful sight in all the universe. And trust me, stranded on an asteroid with nothing to do for a long time, you see some pretty incredible astronomical beauties. _

_They all look like dirt clods now as I look into the very soul and life of my mate. A finger, oh mine! Reaches out and touches a tendril of Sprint. He gasps… _

"_Ooooh like that." Now I get it. But not for long, for those lips are taking and consuming me again. One of his hands come to my chest and coaxes my own plates to retract._

_Ooooh he is so very good. I never felt a thing. Floating, reaching searching…_

**My search is finally at an end. There, below me is my destination. The one I have waited a lifetime for. Just a little more. I need to get my hips to comply and be in sync with my spark. They bumble and rush to get into position, but I don't think she minded. In fact her palm on my aft is certainly helping to guide me.**

**All I know is next, I was encompassed from tip to tail.**

_All I know is I was being fill in body and soul._

_**All I know is I am whole. Discomfort is quickly replace with compassion and passion. Impassioned. Desire covered in a flame of ecstasy. Ecstasy is swallowed by an explosion of … peace… A warm comfort of support and security. Safety. Home.**_

_**There are no words for when you find your mate. Words will never describe the wholeness. Words pale the very beat of your one life that has become US. The ONE. The… everything.**_

_**Your counter part. Your everything. Your breath. Your very life. Yes you disagree about stupid stuff, like you do with yourself. Yes you love the silly quirks of the other. Yes those quirks become niggles of irritation at times. But they are things you can't live without. For, you can not live without OURSELF anymore….**_

_**:hear: :heart:**_

_One does the math. __**One does the literature.**_

_**One makes the bed. **__One steals the covers._

_**One keeps the home running **__from the inside__**, one from the outside.**_

_**One makes it a castle of protection, **__one make is a home of comfort._

_**One is reason, **__one is rhyme._

_**One is **__sunrise, __**the other sunset.**_

_**One is completely organized and nit-picky, **__one is spice and spontaneous._

_**One cries, **__one comforts__**. Once clasps, **__one cuddles._

_One cracks the joke__**, the other keeps the laughter going.**_

_**One is the shower, **__one is the bath._

_One is the north__**, one is the south.**_

_One gives__**, one takes. **__One pushes__**, one pulls.**_

_**One is the bass, **__one is the treble._

_One is summer, __**the other winter.**_

_**One is the nut, **__the other the bolt._

_One is ventricle, __**one is the atrium.**_

_**One is the systolic, **__one is the diastolic_

_**One inhales :heart: One exhales.**_

_**~~~~~Author's Blessing~~~**_

_**This many be early my friends… but Happy Anniversary.**_

Cody & S.

Lita & her Beloved

H&M

And my own beloved D.

A/n more chapters to come... I think.


	9. A Morning View

**A morning View {back to oursilver femme's POV} Special guest hallicination appearance. Can you guess how Stanley go his name?**

I love the cold season. It's not because of the actual cold, it's because of the warmth you get from it. Right now, I am buried deep in warmth. So heavy even my optics can't come up. Nice thick plush beneath me. Soft drape over my head and optics. Only my nose sticking out inhaling the chill of the room. Mmm, I love to snuggle deep into blankets and berth. Only this time, twice as much.

For best of all is what is atop me. Not just said blanket, but a heated weight across my hips, back and even my thighs. Warm puffs into my nape. It tickles, but not enough to push it away. I'm too drugged heavy with this comfort to stop the puffs of heat into my neck. It seeps into my lines spreading through out the rest of my body.

Something twitches against my forearm echoing the soft rumble against my back. I send my own warm thoughts to him. He nuzzles his warm nose deeper into my neck with a mewling noise. For that, I draw my hand down from it's spot under my pillow and head. As it draws, it rolls over to slip my fingers between his and draw his hand back up to my lips. Parting, I can taste him. That warm unique twang of Sprinter.

He's deep in sleep. Good. He needs it. My beloved had pulled an extra emergency shift the night before our bonding. He was just barely able to get showered while Slog polished his armor in record time.

That's how devoted my love is. He had managed to get a message to me before he went silent for his shift. He had told me not to worry; he might be late but he would never miss our special day. Yes, he was late but not by enough that the guests would notice. Now, with the effects of the extra long shift, the excitement and drain of the guests and of course the toll of our physical bonding… Sprinter is beat. I think he crashed before I did last night. Good.

"View?" He's so cute with his all too groggy-husky voice reaching out to make sure I'm really here.

"Shh," I soothe. "Go back to sleep. I've got you." And kiss his fingers openly so he can feel me tasting him.

"Mmm-kay," drowsily, he slips back under. Must be cause and effect, because his deep breathing, is pulling me back under too. Mmmm…

~~00~~ This time when I come round, it's because a beam of light is trying to blind me. I pull the blanket back over my face only to find it pushed aside again by a soft giggling beast.

Fine! Rolling to my back, I hope to squash said animal and drape a wrist over my optics to cut the light. Now comes the crucial decision: go back to sleep or not?

Heavy with stasis does two things: It could be the rest I have been needing to catch up on, good. Or it could be I've had too much deep sedating sleep and if I go back under I will have that groggy-hang over effect. The one where you get a head ache and everything is all fuzzy and you feel like heavy slag. So, do I awaken or go back to sleep?

"Morning," a hot soft rumbling frame snuggles closer into mine.

Oh, right, there's another person in said equation. It's not just me any more. It's hard enough to think already with a half foggy processor, but now adding in a warm comforting frame that I could just melt into and be happy to just let the world go to hell right now around me… hum…. Go away reality, this is all I need. I roll to my side, into him.

Nuzzling kisses to my face, I grog to him, "How are you?" "Perfect," he hums continuing his nuzzles. Then he adds his long graceful fingertips start at my nape and curl into my pliable skin. Primus his fingers are master pieces. I thought I was already slouched and relaxed. Now I feel like putty molding to his frame.

"You keep this up, and I'm going to disintegrate," I warn.

He chuckles lightly and continues down my side, spine, waist and hips. Curl, press, spread, stroke… Okay his touches are no longer soothing me, they are reawakening other parts of me. I wilt onto my back. Those touches continue on my waist and then turn to my belly.

"How are you?" He asks. I might be heating up in my rag doll state, but I can still hear that clinical tone mixed with beloved concern in his voice. What he doesn't realize it that I need more.

"Why don't you find out," I arch my neck back to a particular touched hot spot. His hand drops lower, "Mm-um, not with that." My hand reaches out and grazes against what I want him to use.

His optics go wide and his voice catches, "A-are you sure?"

"You don't, I will." I grasp him and he whines in return.

Forgive me, but I have no idea what my lover looks like while we make love. All I can tell you is how I feel. Sensations I have never known before. Sure I read those romance stories and be no fool, I've seen the porn at least once or twice. After all, I was a soldier among Decepticon ranks. (and do not be fooled into thinking the Autobots were chaste and did not partake in their own.)

Where was I? Oh yes, literature has noting on the real thing. How do you explain filled and caressed from the inside out? And I don't mean physically. I mean where your spark lights fire (or his) and it warms you and your partner. Your body radiates emotions that have no descriptions. Passion? A weak word to describe your need to melt your whole body and soul into the other. Where when your roll into the other it is heaven, but to draw back is hell, only to roll back into heaven again? You can not have heaven without hell. You can not draw back, unless your draw forward.

I need him. He needs me. Higher and higher we climb. But I can not breathe. And just when I don't think I take more cringe of my own systems, there is more. A fleeting pang of fear zips through knowing I can not hold this feeling forever. But if I did, it would loose it's impact of being special. Crest… NONONO don't go over! I need one more moment of … NOOO ! But oooohhh yessss… the release of … wow…. Pssssss uuuhhhh..

"View?" he gasps my name in breathless compassionate passion. "Mmm?" I have lost the power of speech. "View?" he sounds a bit worried now. I can't not speak or operate my optics, so I kiss him instead. That seems to ease his concern. Sinking to my side, he stokes me in after glow. I cup his nape keeping him close.

I have no idea how long we lie together, but someone's tank growls in need. I grumble. I do not want to move from my cocoon of enrapturement.

He moves, the fragger. "Come on, doctor's orders. You need a shower and nourishment." He pulls the blanket aside and I scream.

"It's cold out there!" I yank the blanket back while he laughs at me. Buried deep I know it will be muffled but I don't care. I'm hoping to bring him back under with me, "I'm not going out there. I'll stay here and starve rather than go out there and freeze."

He pulls the blanket down just enough so I can see his sweet optics, "Stay here, my sweet. I will call for you when it is ready." What is he up to?

Pedes leave the berth side. The water in the bathroom begins to run. Oh my goodness, he is warming the shower for me… oh I'm going to cry. "View, come here!" I dash across the cold room and into the hot shower with my awaiting beloved.

Oh my goodness! How many times can I melt? How many different ways are there to melt a bot? His sweetness. His kindness. His caresses. His love making and now this? Searing hot water warming my frame just the way I like it. With one shower head, he puts me directly into the spray. No, that won't do, I turn to my side so we are both in. And then, he sinks to a crouch. Ohhhh, he puts the solvent on the scrubby and starts at my pedes. With a tap to my ankle, I lift. Even under and between my toes. Then he makes sure it is rinsed before placing it back down, so I don't slip? Oh my goodness, I grab the wall in my sway to my gentelmech. Up around my calf, my thigh, and hip. Ignoring the obvious hot spot, turns his attention to the other pede in like manner. With a gentle grasp of my hip, turns me and washes my aft.

Oh! That's not the scrubber. Those are hot lips tasting the small of my back and coming up as the hands (minus the scrubber) also come up my thighs and hips... "Oh Sprint…"

"Forgive me…" he nips me lightly on the shoulder. I gasp and push my shoulder back for another bite. He does.

It takes forever to get both of us clean. The only thing that kicks us out of the wet chamber is the water turning icy. With a slam of his palm, he cuts the chill. But now we are both wet and cooling. Careful not to let all the cold air into the chamber, he reaches out and grabs two towels on the outside glass doors.

Unfolding one, he wraps it around his waist, and then uses the other to rub me down. I haven't been rubbed down since I was a sparkling. Do you remember what is was like to have someone else rub that thick soft cloth against your skin while you just stand there feeling like you are some goddess or saint? I can't melt any more. I'm just too move to do anything. My mate is pampering me when I should be doing this for him. I do not deserve him and yet…

He rises and I just wrap my arms around him, "I love you." He lets me just hold him.

Someone's tank growls again. Someone giggles. He steps back, I let him. Swinging the door back, I see two matching thick red robes. Like a servant, he holds a robe out for me to slip into. I let him fit me and tie it. Then he slips his own on. And there, I see it, his glyph and on mine, my.

" 'Crete. She said it was a necessity. I happen to agree." He winks. Then he grasps my knot and tugs me closer, "For you won't be wearing much else for the next few days."

Oh Primus I have bonded to quite the mech. His kiss is quiet the weapon. My goodness, we could have won the war quickly if bots kissed like this instead of beating the scrap out of each other. Heh, we probably also would have repopulated Cybertron thrice over as well.

"Mmm, breakfast?" He leaves me gaping for more. Fragger. Watching that sweet mech stride away, I know going back to work next week is going to kill me.

~~00~~ Some how we made it through breakfast. He really is a good cook. Better than he gives himself credit for. But I see him glance over the phone several times while we clean up. Finally I nudge him in the side, "Go, check in."

Setting the dirty dish down, he wraps his arms around me and hauls me in tight. He makes sure I am looking straight into his optics, "I know we really didn't talk about this much... but, my patients might get in the way of-"

"Being who you are?" I stroke his cheek and smile. "Look if it bothers me, I'll let you know, but on the same token, wasn't that part of our dating? Trying to figure each other out? Did we argue about it when you had to change?-"

"View, you don't know how many couples I've seen-"

"Search and reach across war and time to find each other?" I counter. He sags at me punching a hole in his argument. I bop him in the chest, he winces seeing how it's not armor covered, but I don't care. "Look at me Beloved, you and I have survived hells, and I will not let you get away so easily."

He tries three more times to find something to come back with, never emitting a word. He knows he has lost. I'm not gloating, no, this is one of those where he knows I deeply care. Pushing his arms off me gently, I point to the phone, "Go, I've got this."

He taps my nose, "This conversation isn't over." To that, I will agree and nod.

Swishing the dishes through the water, I watch him. Even in a robe, not his lab jacket, he looks so professional. As if he was right there at the patient's side comparing notes with the other doctor. He was the same way with me back eons ago when I was recovering from major surgery on my leg. Doing his best to keep his emotions out of the equation but always so on top of things.

From the sound of his conversation, this patient needed a lot of care. Finally I can see his pacing is increasing and he is getting anxious. Striding over, I motion I need to interrupt.

"Hold on," he tells his coworker.

I take the phone and hold it behind my back. He scowls with those cute little red brows of his, "Will it make you feel better if you went down for a little while and checked on her?"

"Yes and no." He groans. I don't budge, because I already know the problem. "I am supposed to be here with you, not at work. This is our time together."

Reaching up, I caress his cheek, "Yes but if you are here physically and not mentally, it won't matter, now will it? Are you going to go stir crazy?"

"View! You don't understand!"

I take the phone back up, "He'll be with you shortly. Bye." And I hang up the phone. "GO. I'll be here when you get back."

But there was something I didn't count on. "DON'T order me around!"

"What?!" I counter. I have no idea what he means. Why is he so upset? What have I done?

He takes three steps back from me, hurt and angry. Hurt? Angry? I don't understand at all.

One of those soft tips of this morning comes up in a sharp point jabbing at his own chest, "I might be half droid, but that doesn't mean I will let my mate order me around! YOU don't decide MY direction. I do! And if I say I am staying here with you, than so be it!" With that, he turns and stalks off.

In a studio apartment, there isn't many places to stalk off to. In this case, he goes to his armor and slings it back on. Hanging the robe up, he begins straightening the berth blankets, stacking my armor neatly on the one chest of belongings I had brought and flutters to more organizing.

For me, I slink back to the main room window seat and wait. Tucking my knees up to my chest I hug my legs. I'm not an idiot, I fucked up. I over stepped my bounds. I hurt him when all I was trying to be was encouraging. I didn't even think about how hard it is for him being half droid and all the restrictions that the old system had placed on him. Even now, he bared to me, some people look down on him like he is retarded or whipped. Certainly having his mate tell his co-worker he has been bossed around by her didn't help.

I love him so much. I want him to be happy. I know arguments will happen. I know they won't break us, but to go from having intimate time together to crossing a line into pain-

Lips press my audio, and apologize, "I'll be back soon" With that, he his gone with a soft close of the main door.

"Oh Primus, what have I done? Please, please help me. Help me to understand. What ever have I done don't let me do it again."

Something calls me, and I head over to the berth side table. There laying on top is Primus Text. His words of encouragement to his children. Picking it up, I see it was given to Sprinter by his father on one of his birthdays. I take it and curl under the blankets of the berth. In here I find reminders of a mate's duty:

To uplift To encourage To be a helpmate To be a safe haven of hope To be a giver of respect and comfort To be that other half of our life giving force in time of turmoil and unrest... Sprinter is all of that and more to me. How can I be any less to him? I don't know if it's the pain in our bond or what, but I find myself with wet cheeks. I hurt him. Struck him in the weakest point and I just have... no idea how to fix it. How do you fix something like this? Who can I turn to? Do I really want to admit to anyone what I did? Is it worth talking to someone? Who is a confidant I can ask?

Not Musty! She's so juvenile and unattached!

Besides, Sprinter isn't just any bot, he's a half droid. Who will understand how a half droid mech thinks and feels?

Those snuggly warm blankets of this morning feel so good and with the scent of my beloved...

i _"View?" Shuttering my optics open, who do I see sitting on the edge of my berth, but a dark angel? Really? Well I see a golden halo and white wingtips… oh wait that's a golden optic and white antenna helm tips on a purple form._

_"Oh Primus…" I hide my face in shame. He chuckles at me. "Huh?"_

_I dare to look again. Hands properly folded in his lap, helm tipped with an amused expression on his face, even the antenna are cocked at a jaunty angle. "I'm not real," he gives me a teasing tone._

_Teasing? Commander Shockwave teasing me? After …everything… Oh crap what have I done now?_

_He smiles in his own unique way, "I know how you feel. My first, um, days… after bonding left me with strange dreams and feelings. It's normal."_

_Okay thinking about it a bit more, yeah this is a dream. All fuzzy feeling and weird. Still, it just doesn't seem right to have my past elicit-infatuation sitting on my bond-berth conversing so easily with me. This is just plain nuts!_

_"Like I said, I'm not real. I'm a manifestation of what you already know and are having a hard time figuring out." The purple hallucination presses._

_I groan, "Why you? Why does it have to be you?"_

_I hear him sigh heavily in disappointment. In me or in him I don't know. But then a lilac hand is taking my bonded one and turning it over. A tender thumb caresses my beloved's glyph while a very soft comforting angelic voice nudges, "View, you know why I am here. I am the only one you know who can honestly understand your bondmate. Except you. Now tell me, what do you know of Sprinter's upbringing? Tell me of his heritage. I know he told you."_

_He doesn't let go of my hand, just continuing to soothe it as my guardian. I watch that strong comforting hand stroke each curve and curl of Sprinter's given name._

_"His mother came from an Elite family in the financial industry."_

_"And his father?" "I full droid employee of a maintenance company contracted to work on some the Elite homes."_

_The antenna relax and nudges me on. He does not seem at all effected by what I say, just pleased that I know the facts. "Keep going. How did they meet?"_

_"The heating unit broke in her room, he came to repair it. She was a college student at the time, but her parents wanted her safe and made her stay at home while attending classes. Stanley was a bit older than Abacus. She was kind to him. In fact, heh, smitten by his yellow rugged looks and black tips. Her own being more royal red and silver slim."_

_Shockwave rumbles again. Is he thinking of something personal? His free wrist curls nudging me to continue on. "What happened?"_

_"Abacus had a good time talking to him that first time. And then they ran into each other a couple more times in the halls of the Elite Tower Building. I don't remember why but anyway, Abacus was smitten hard. Was it a femme flush, well, I wouldn't know anything about that." Quickly I look up to see if he caught my poke. _

_He did, squeezing my hand and pokes back with a serious tone, "Stay on task. What happened?"_

_"Stanley knew her family would never allow her to be courted by a mere maintenance droid, he had overheard her father's plans to set up her suitors and his disgust of Abacus' fraternization with 'droids'. Besides, Stanley didn't know if she was just being polite or really cared. Until she caught him and tugged him to the stairwell one afternoon. She begged him to meet her at the college café next to the library."_

_"And?" Shockwave leans over to his side, propping his helm up by a palm, curling both knees to my berth, ever so proper to keep the pedes off. I can't help but giggle a little. I feel like I'm sharing a fairytale love story with a schoolmate back when I was ten. Am I really just sitting here chitchatting with Commander Shockwave?_

_"No, you're not." The purple bot reads my mind. He pokes me in the forehelm with his free digit, "I AM your mind. Now, stop side tracking." He pokes the thick blanket before me, "Come on, Sprinter will be home soon and you need to have this figured out before he gets home. Come on."_

_"He's coming home today?" Shockwave groans shaking his head, "Take it from someone bonded to one of the most troubled mechs in the universe, they always come home. You need to be prepared. You need to be ready to sit quietly and listen weather they speak with words or actions."_

_This time I reach out and take his hand, "Will it get worse?" He nods, he never lies. "Of course. But then again, it will always get better." Then he winks, "And trust me, the making up is the best part."_

_My optics go wide, "Is that how your son-" A lavender hand waves the thought aside, "No, no. We aren't talking about me, and you are speculating, side tracking again. Remember, I am not the true Shockwave, but I will still keep you in line as if I were. Now! What happened with Stanley and Abacus?"_

_I huff at my focused purple conscience., "FINE!" Rolling to my own side, I prop up likewise. He scowls at me. "Anyway, they hit it off. It wasn't long and they were in deep love. The first suitors party sent Abacus fleeing from it and into Stanley's arms. Nothing happened, but she did spend the night crying in his arms. She was mad he knew about the party but didn't warn her. But when she saw how crushed he was knowing he would never be good enough to be invited… they both grieved._

_"The night of the second suitor's ball, a huge one with lots of other families, Debutant I think it was called," _

_The purple helm nods. "We had them in Tarn as well, but we weren't as strict as the Praxians are about inter-breeding. Doesn't mean I was free from the name-calling and ridicule either though. Schoolbots are not always kind. Now, what did the couple do?"_

_"Eloped. She entered the ball, and he meet her behind the kitchen. In all her finery to find a mate, she did. Just not the one her parents intended."_

_Shockwave hisses shaking his head, "That was not a good idea. Elite do not like their strict rules thwarted."_

_I can't help but my heart clenches. I remember the pain in which Sprinter had retold me the story of his grandparents banishment of their daughter. They literally shoved her and her bonded out the front door when she came home late that night with Stanley on her arm. They physically pushed her out, with nothing. They ripped the family crest pendant from her neck and locked the door in her face without a word. There was Abacus standing in the hallway with nothing but Stanley in her hand. Locked out of her parents lives forever. Banished. Abandoned. Forgotten._

_Shockwave touches my hand seeing my grief, "That's not the end of the story, is it? They did not crumble, did they?"_

_I shake my head, "No. Her classes had already been paid until the end of the semester and she got a job at the café at night. No big surprise that Stanley got fired from his good paying job."_

_"Bastard pricks."_

_My optics shoot up at that. Shockwave swear? He halves his optic, "Only when it's appropriate. It fits, now come on, focus!"_

_This Shockwave is so much funnier that the drill sergeant I really did work for. Still encouraging, still strong, and still the logical mech I know, but just a bit more relaxed… still a bit of a pain._

_"I heard that!" He sighs and shoves on, "I have different things to stress about these days. I have different things that bring me happiness. Just as you and Sprinter also do. Just as Abacus and Stanley did. Now, keep going. Sprinter will be home very soon and you have to get this sorted out and ready to accept him in a new light. Alright?"_

_"Yes sir," I salute from my relaxed position. "View," he scolds. "Move it!" Damn, the old Commander is back, even if he is curled cutely on my berth like we were old school buddies._

_{Deep sigh} I press on, "Abacus finished the term and got her degree in mathematics, no surprise. Both she and Stanley had hoped her parents would at least be at her graduation. No. Returning from the university celebration, they found the torn up invitation in their mail box."_

_"Ouch."_

_I swipe a tear and plunge on, "While Abacus had been finishing her term, Stanley had found a job as a custodian at a local elementary school. Within the year, Abacus got her teaching certificate. The young prigs at the elementary school were rather cruel to Stanley, even if the staff was kind. The principal helped Stanley and Abacus get moved to a school on the out lying boarder of the city were there were less people they knew from Abacus' family and were a bit more…"_

_"Open minded to inter-racial bonding?" I nod. "So I take it soon after Sprinter came along?"_

_"Yeah. They loved him so very much, but he never knew either set of grandparents. Stanley made sure Sprinter strived to be whatever he wanted to be…."_

_"But, still?" "Still, he lived in Praxis. Not all were accepting to a half-breeds. And then of course medical school, he had been lied to."_

_Now it's my turn, I reach out and take his hand, "I can't thank you enough for what you did for him. I don't know if you know all you did for him. Your encouragement-"_

_My purple conscience turns to a sound at the door. Rolling his form off the berth he leans down and strokes down my nose strut with a thumb, "Do a good turn everyday. Someone gave this half-droid just the soft kick in the aft to be everything he wanted to be. Isn't that why we all joined the Decepticons?"_

_As a piece of me, he knows good and well, that is exactly why I joined. To be someone with my brother. Not to be pushed around like some helpless femme twit._

_"Now think about that. Sprinter does not want to be shoved around. His father may have been a hard working bot who used his body everyday to provide a safe stable home for his family. And yes, his mother may have had the higher functioning one handling the financial affairs of the family… sure a bunch of those insolent kids made crude jokes about Sprinter and Stanley being lead around by a femme and thus not a real mech… But Sprinter always knew his parents loved him. Yes, he got screwed over by a system that continued to tell him he was less than something because his mind easily gets tunnel vision, but you-" he pokes me in the spark, "You he did not think he deserved. Much like Stanley felt about Abacus. Did Abacus ever push them around?"_

_I shake my head._

_"Good. Sprinter has been chasing after you all over this galaxy and time. He's been trying to rise up to the level of someone no different than himself, even if he sees me as something more. View, I am no different than him. I'm just a bot with a brilliant processor and a drive to use it. I may not show my emotions to everyone, but I do have them." He taps his spark, "I only show my deepest emotions to a select few to whom I know will not exploit them or tease me." Standing to his full height, proudly crosses his arms over his broad chest, "I am a mech, do not be fooled by me being a mother."_

_"Oh, I'm not. I know good and well you are a mech."_

_With a curling roll of his fist, finishing with a pointed finger to the rattling at the door, Shockwave finishes, "A mech has his pride. A droid has his dignity. The line between the two is a shaky jumble of nerves. Sometimes, we fall into the crack between them and get lost in our own wallow. We need our mates to pull us out and sew the seam back together. Alright?" I nod. _

_He stares at me curiously while I bite my lip to a curious question. "What?" he asks._

_Rolling to my front, I both hands under my chin and give him my best cute-inquisitive look, "So… How in the WORLD did you and Megatron finally get together and have that cute little sparkling?"_

_Did you know he can roll his neck that way with an exasperated groan. A pillow fwaps me in the face, "Go back to sleep View and take care of your mate!" _

_******* a/n Next stop, A Sprint in the Afternoon.**_


	10. An Afternoon Sprint

An Afternoon Sprint

{Back to our poor hurting Sprinter's POV}** a/n Special guest speaks to our Sprinter.**

I know that was irrational of me. There was no reason for me to snap at her, I just… hair triggered. It hurt so bad instantly refluxing me back to my younger bullied days and yet as a full adult needing to defend myself. Like I said, it was stupid of me. My gosh less than a day of bondhood and our first fight and my fault. Crap.

It took me a few moments to get my self together… or shove my hurt aside … and then did as I told my mate, I went to work. Walking into those halls I was torn. It felt good to check on my patient and be among what I know so well. My past solace of direction.

But it hurts knowing I should be back at home with my new sparkmate. My… new life. Getting used to my new life bound to another. Living together. Breathing together. Healing together…

Damn, I screwed up big time.

Leaning on the nurse's station reviewing my patient's chart a voice startles me:

"Sprinter? What are you doing here? Why aren't you with your mate, or is she here too? I'd love to meet her."

The warm presence of the passing ICU doctor is nice. I know that Dr. Cole came from a high class family, but he acts differently. Even his parents were nice when I met them after his accident. He doesn't look down on me for being a half breed. I'm not saying everyone in this hospital does either. I'm not saying everyone in everyday life do… either, but still… I'm a little hypersensitive to the elite.

View doesn't know this, but I meet my grandparents once. I was about fourteen and needed to find out for myself if my grandparents were alive or dead. My mother Abacus avoided conversations about them and my father Stanley bristled every time they were discussed. I learned quickly: don't bring them up. Still, that moment will forever be burning into my memory:

I_ I snuck in and made my way to the private front door of the President of Praxis Financials. Knocking on the door, I was greeted by a young femme droid. "May I help you, young mech?"_

_"I-I want to know if my grandparents are here," some how I manage to get out. Her expression says more than enough: a daw of hope and then a painful sadness over comes her at the sound of an proper femme's inquisition to the guest._

_"Ma'am, a young man is looking for his grandparents."_

_A trim and highly polished mech followed by a perfectly manicured femme come up to the maid-droid. Lowering her helm and backing out of their way, she whispers those fateful words, "I'm so sorry."_

_The upper class couple looks me over carefully, never letting me inside their home. Leaving me out in the hallway like some … unwelcome visitor. I can see them looking over every inch of me. Carefully scrutinizing me as if I was a legal document with fine print._

_I decide to make the move, "Are you my grandparents? Is your daughter Abacus?"_

_The femme bristles, "Our daughter is dead."_

_The mech follows, "She died the moment she chose to mixed her spark with __**that thing**__."_

_"Thing?" My voice shakes, I know what they mean but I have to hear them say the ugly truth about my beloved father._

_"A droid."_

_"You are mistaken. You have no grandparents here. There is nothing for you here."_

_And the door in shut in my face. They disavowed me. Then never accepted me, thus never disowned me. They… never even tried to know me._

_My spark plummets. I have no idea how I get home. I don't remember. What I do remember is my father coming home from work early because he has gotten word I cut class. He was going to be furious at me for neglecting my studies until he sees my face._

_"You …didn't…. please say you didn't." He begs me already knowing what I did._

_I have no words. I feel like a baby all over again. I run into his arms and sob. He isn't mad at me. He is furious at my - them. Blubbering I just kept telling him over and over again, "I love you Daddy. I love you Daddy."_

_Do not be fooled. A droid does have emotions. They are extremely powerful ones. If they switch all of their focus from their assigned tasks over to their emotions, it's a water shed of passion. If you asked Dad about a Phillips or Standard screw driver at this moment he will tell you to use a wrench probably. That's how much of his focus is on me. Everything. I am his project that needs fixing._

_My mother nearly freaks when she comes home and finds both of us huddled in a ball of embraces crying and soothing each other. He telling me I am his greatest accomplishment and me telling him how honored I am to have him as my dad. We pull my mom in and showered her with our love before we dare tell her what had transpired._

_Stroking both of our faces she tells us, "Do you want to know what is the funniest thing of all?"_

_Now we both think Mom was loosing it if there is something funny in all this._

_She giggles holding her hands up for us to wait and listen to her. "They had told me that my college education was just to pacify my time until I mated. After that, there would be no need for me to use my education. I fully intended to be a teacher, they laughed at me telling me what my role would be as an elite mate."_

_"What were you supposed to be, Mom?" My optics pop._

_She winks to my dad, "A glorified nothing." Dad laughs understanding fully. "See I'm supposed to spend my days going to the gym, hitting the Buckstars for fooffoo drinks with my fellow femme-bonded-debutantes and talk about the Goochie purses and the latest TV show about Oprah and snobby TV femme reality show about picking fights and sleeping with every mech on the planet. And then go to the parties with the same stuck up prigs and chit chat about nothing productive or encouraging. I was to be nothing but a drain on society with my over priced crap and drinking and partying." She touches my dad's spark oh so sweetly. "I was to be nothing but a highly polished femme that would honestly amount to… nothing. And elite femme-droid, if you will."_

_Dad leans in and nuzzles his mate back, "One of those things we talked about late in the night outside the college café. One of the things I love about you. You wanted to be so much more than what you were socially groomed to be."_

_Mom snuggles us both, "I love my life! I'm busy! I'm doing something! I'm making a difference! And you will too!" She smirkingly shoves a gentle fist in my nose, "No more cutting class or I'll knock your block off myself."_

_And Dad winks back, "And I'll kick you in the aft." I can't help but laugh. _

_I isn't long after that my baby sister is born._

"Sprinter?" Dr. Cole is calling me again.

"Sorry, Cole, just… drifting."

"Are you alright?"

"Screwed up. Had a fight with View over… something stupid."

Cole nods his head, "Are they ever anything serious?"

We both see a recently divorced nurse walk by. Yes, sometimes the situations are serious, but not this time in my case and I hope it never will be.

"I know I'm not bonded, but do you need to talk?"

"Cole, please don't be offended, but… I don't think you would understand."

His green optics go wide, but not in hurt, just regular surprise. "But you need to talk to someone?"

I rub my hood and sag, "I wish I knew what to do. I've been me for so long that now that it's 'we' it's all so new."

Cole puts a hand on my shoulder, "Sprint, it's been less than a day. You have a whole life time ahead of you. You haven't even gotten to parenting yet!"

My shoulders feel like they just sagged to my knees. I shake my head. I was loved dearly by my parents and I wish I had them right now because I know they would be more than willing to give me some counseling. "I wish my parents were here."

Cole cants his helm, "How so?"

"How does a bot and a droid meld the two halves into bond hood?"

Cole's helm shoots up to a dark form coming out of another room. "Hold that thought. Don't move, Sprinter."

He strides away and I go back to my patient's file. Looks like she is going to be alright, but it's going to be a long recovery. I was afraid that maybe I had missed something during her initial triage in the ER from the way the specialist was talking and asking me follow up questions.

On and on I go through the list when a cup is shoved into my hand, "Follow me." I see Cole has another cup of hot herbal Energon-tea in his other hand. I follow him out the doors to the Doctor's Only Porch.

But what I see makes me stall. Cole chuckles and grabs my elbow forcing me to sit at the glass table across from….. Commander Shockwave. Cole sets the tea down in front of my purple commander and leaves us alone.

Canting his helm, Shockwave starts, "I'm surprised to see you here."

I stare at him, "I'm surprised to see you here, as well."

He taps his chest with the back of a thumb, "Annual spark check up. Nothing serious. You?"

"A patient's care was niggling and I couldn't let go."

He sips his tea through that same slit my father had, "You need to."

I open my mouth to quip back, but no, not to him. Too much respect. My mouth slams shut. Instead I look down into my cup and watch the steam swirl. Silence, sip, silence.

"Sprinter, it's not going to be easy. It's going to be hard to retrain your focus and split your time between duty to task and duty as mate. Be patient. Already you have shown great patience in waiting this far and long for her."

I shake my head, "There was never anyone else. As soon as my spark felt her proximity that very first time… I was doomed."

"I know."

Now that statement from anyone else I would have brushed aside quickly. Maybe even snorted at them. But not his. Not only that, but it's the soft way he leans in and says it drawn out like someone who truly does understand. That brings my head up to look into his bonded optic.

"I know."

"Sir, may I ask something personal?"

He shivers at the title and I grimace back realizing what I had done, but with the grace he is known for, just presses right on royal purple shoulders of his carry a bit of elite dignity and pride, but not arrogance. I bet that helped in making him a commander.

"Alright," he acquiesces.

And then it hits me. Shockwave is bonded to our former faction leader. The mighty and dangerously powerful Lord Megatron. I **can't** ask him anything about their bondhood. "Never mind."

Silence, sip, silence, sip.

"Sprinter, I'm a regular droid-mech, just like you. There are only a few of us that survived the war and bonded successfully. It's harder on us than the regular mechs and femmes. There aren't many of us who find each other and have a chance to converse. Please, what do you need to know?"

I watch him for a few moments. Just like the old days as a training commander he offered his office, although I never took it. Now here he is again offering counsel. Can I really ask him something so deep and so personal? After all, we are talking about the most intimate part of one's life. Yes View and I did the pre-bonding counseling, but they did not cover some of this.

"Shockwave, were you torn between work and mate during your first few cycles after bonding?"

With a light sigh he shakes his head. (I think he was afraid I was going to ask something completely different.) "I was fortunate to not be working at the time, for my mate needed me fully and I could not leave his side. He was… quite ill at the time."

Megatron sick?! I just can not fathom that, but he is bot just like anyone else so I guess that was possible.

Pressing on he leans in, "I am grateful I did not have to choose between helping those in need and the one I wanted to spend my time with. You have a very tough calling. I can understand your dilemma." I nod to the respect he is giving me. And then he chuckles. "Even though my projects are not of a life and death nature, they consume me as if they were." He leans a cheek onto a propped up fist, dropping his antenna a few notches and chuckles again, "Oh believe me, it makes for quite the arguments about me being a tenacious work-a-holic."

"Really?"

Taking another sip he nods, "Just last week in fact." And laughs.

"And?" I press on looking for help to our joint problem.

"Megatron can be… difficult, when he doesn't get his way." There's a quirk or amusement on that face that only one who grew up with a droid parent would understand. He shrugs and continues, "And I can be a bit… tunnel visioned?"

I release my own chuckle. The few friends I do have, grouse at me not going out with them enough. I spend too much time checking up on my patients and making sure everything is the best of my ability. I just, don't want to be less than my best.

"I find being mated, balances me -us. His impetuses, my tight aftness." He twirls a finger in the air to the insult. "His stubbornness to see a medic, and my over protection to insure he does." The look he shoots me lets me know it's Megatron's problem not anything I have ever done. Not that I had ever treated him. I'm not even sure our CMO ever did!

More than that, I understand something else. My mate is my balance. My symmetry… my hold on the reality of this world.

"Look, we are who we are. Completely driven and focused to complete a task to its perfect outcome. We have to remember our mates, our sparklings are the greatest achievements of our lives. That! We must remember is our first priority. It's not easy when we can't see something tangible before us. It's hard for us to see a **brelationship/b** as a project, but it is. Our mate's security and our sparkling's upbringings are our greatest master pieces. Don't screw it up."

Was it an order or an encouragement? Does it matter? Can he really know all of my issues? After all, he did grow up in a different city than I. The eloquence and upper class hold to his posture screams of that moment with my grandparents. Can I ask him this?

I draw a lazy circle in the spilled sugar on the table, "You speak with a touch of the elite. Were you …"

"Treated as an Elite?" I nod. He scoffs, "Far from it. If anything, I was reminded constantly what a failure I was a son with a face like this and my droid tendencies. It had been hoped I would have all of my father's dominate mech genes. I did not."

He leans in and accentuates his dignity, "I was loved by my mother for being her son. She was pleased with my successes, she never remembered my failures. Without my mother's love, I never would have survived. I was three times more brilliant than my father and twice as driven to prove myself to him and all his bastard colleges that I was something. You?"

"My parents loved me and my sister immensely. I was never a failure to them."

He sips his tea and flicks a finger, "You were lucky. There are others who had it worse." I nod sadly for him, but he brushes that all aside. "The war cleansed near all that away for me. I became someone. I was released from the disgrace of shunning by-"

"Being a Commander, you were lucky." I flick his title away.

"You heard me wrong, Medic."

To that I had to wince. If it wasn't for him putting me in the medbay, I never would have completed my training and become what I am today. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need to be sorry. Let me try again." I watch him flicker his antenna in search of the right words to express his thoughts and complex feelings. "Sprinter, Megatron was angry and disgusted with the name-calling, the Elite feeling they were better than anyone else, the lack of care given to the lower caste. That includes the droids and mixed breeds." He leans in with a fist, "He did not see a mix-breed in me, he saw a soldier. A mech. A living being. And trust me, we had several talks about my hair trigger temper to the name calling."

My optics went wide at this point. Shockwave, a hair trigger? Impossible!

"Did he-"

"He did not love me. He could care less for the emotion at the time. But we aren't here to discuss me, we are here to talk about you and keeping you from falling down that past of so long ago. We fought that war to abolish the caste. Not just the legal one, but the one within our own sparks. Look at your mate, does she love a mech or Sprinter? What were those vows she took just yesterday? Both of you believe in Primus and that he made you equal?"

I nod again.

"If that is where you put your faith, then you need to hold to that! You need to let go of the insults." He points to the red & white checkered helicopter taking off from the roof, "There are a lot of good bots here who see you for what you really are. Do not let the irritating few destroy all that you have fought and LIVED for. Go, make your parents proud. Be more than anyone ever expected. Just remember what I said: your first duty is to your family."

What else can I say? He was right. As smart as I am, I'm being an idiot with myself.

Standing, I stick my hand out to my former commander and now my counselor, "Thank you, Shockwave. Again."

He laughs and rises, taking my hand in return, gentlemech to gentlemech. "For I am not a follower of Primus, I give you this instead: Be wise, be healthy, … be there for her, FIRST." But he doesn't let go of my hand until I promise.

I squeeze back, "You too. Cute sparkling, deadly mate makes you a lucky mech." And I am graced with his roar of laughter.

He lets go and pats my shoulder, "Don't be afraid to talk to her. After all, she does carry half your spark now… hopefully more someday?"

I blush. We talked briefly about sparklings, but … "I think I need to go home. I think my patients are in fellow capable hands."

Shockwave chuckles again, "Yes, it is hard to let go, but to come home to a soft place to lay your head at night, it's worth it."

I throw my hands up in defense, "Okay okay I can take a hint without the pede in my aft, I'm going!"

I retreat to the sound of laughter. Just what I need right now.

So now I need to figure out how I'm going to tell her I was frigg'n idiot. Hopefully she won't hold it against me. Well, we are talking about View here. I don't think she even knows the meaning of the word grudge. That would be me, but as he said, time to grow up and let got.

Parking on the street, look up where there my mate waiting for me. There is my new life. And like hell am I going to screw this up.

Racing up the stairs, I take them two at a time. The surging in my chest brings me closer and close to the other half of my spark. I can feel her calling for me. I can feel it drawing me closer and fast. I can feel her beating inside my chest.

I'm not sorry I left, for it only reinforced my need to be with her. I am sorry for how I left, but now I am coming back. And I will not leave her for the rest of our allotted time together.

Ever so carefully, I slip inside the apartment. Setting my keys on the hook, I can see her on our berth back under the warm covers. My body daws as I come closer and see what she has in her hand, my Text. The one my beloved father had given me. His, his father's. It's old and tattered but our foundation. Leaning over I can see she was reading up on the roles of a mate. It folds me to my knees.

While I was out being me, she was being us.

I slip the Text out of her palms and set it aside stroking her face, I see the beauty I always saw, but more than that, I love how she just laid here and waited, becoming stronger. She didn't do anything crazy, she didn't freak out just, just... Waited for me and meditated.

"View?"

Her head rolls and opens her optics slowly. A broad smile comes out before her head fully rotates onto its chin staring at me: aqua blues to emerald hues. "Hi. How did it go?"

This femme is incredible, but yet, "View, I left on -"

She grabs my chin, thus clamping my mouth shut, "Sprinter, give it up. I don't have time for this. Do you love me?" I nod. "Good, because I love you too and I'm not going to waste my life trying to make our lives perfect, it just isn't going to be. I'm going to say stupid stuff and you're going to look at me weird and then you will do it too. So now for the important things, how is the patient?"

I blink. She did not just drop the whole subject, "But-" **fuwap**

SHE HIT ME! With a pillow?

"I said, how is the patient?"

"Uh, View, about-" f**uwap** SHE DID IT AGAIN! "What the -" **fuwap fuwap**

"Wrong answer, Sprint. Try again."

She aims that pillow again but this time, I grab it before hits it's target. And there it is, that little glint of hers. She waggles her black optic brow at me, and releases her side. I fall back to my aft and watch her reach for the next weapon in her arsenal. "View, you don't want to do this."

Rolling to her knees, she begins swinging the pillow over her head, "I was a middle femme with two brothers, you are going down, hard, lover."

Rising to my pedes, I pull back on my own weapon, "Yeah well..." **fuwap** That femme has a mean right slap. But I counter by coming straight over the top and down.

She giggles and whacks me one in the belly, then snarls, "No fair, no fair! Strip!"

Oh she wants to play it this way does she? Alright, I can do this. Bending one knee, I remain standing and release a greave and drop it to the floor. Quite honestly, I don't care what my neighbors below think of the clatter, I've heard far worse in this building. Reaching down, I take the other off as well. Then the thighs. Cramming the pillow between my knees (I don't trust her THAT much) I give a little hum and cast aside the gauntlets, the shoulder plates, the door wings. That's right, I'm giving her a little show while I remove the armor and bare my self to her.

Picking up the pillow, I wink, "Better?"

Her jaw is slack and she licks her lips, "There's still that." She flicks to my pelvic plate.

"Um, sure is. And I do see that you are still dressed as well."

She looks down to her red robe, "But, it's just-" **fuwap** I nail her in the shoulder.

Oh my goodness I haven't had this much fun in ages. Running around like sparklings whacking each other silly with pillows, tickling each other and giggling. I don't think I can remember the last time I giggled!

Then I see my chance. In the corner is my pile of blankets we were going to go through. I rush her, scoop her up and slam her into the pile of blankets. She squeals in delight and surprise, but quickly silences when I lean in and grasp her throat with my open mouth.

The taste of her skin is link nothing I've ever known. Parting the robe, I kiss my way across her chest and collar. Her hands wrap and guide my helm. She likes it when I go right through her cleavage, not the actual mounds of femininity, and around their base. And then she likes it when I nip at her hip struts, she likes hard bites to her aft and right down the back of her knee, is ticklish. She squirms as if I was tickling her belly.

Oh to learn your lover's body and play it like an instrument. And the range of song you can get. Squeals of delight, deep moans of more, light gasps of anticipation, and whimpers of loss. And the way a name is said can be twice as exciting. A crescendo to our sonnet or a sigh pleasant enrapturement. Crooning and curling into our arpeggio, I bring out my own tenor of harmony. The most beautiful note of all is to hear our names melded together as we say:

"I love you."

~~00~~

Snuggling in our afterglow among the piles of blankets, a few tossed over us now to keep us warm, I stroke her spine while she caresses my wing buds, "Mmm, Shockwave was right."

"Yes he was," she is on the crest of delirium, she has to be.

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, what do you mean?" she asks back suddenly becoming stiff..

"He said that a mate is a soft place to lay your head and warm home to return to."

"Um, yes. I agree. Welcome home Sprinter."

"Welcome home View."

**a/n One more and then, I think I should stop or else it will start fading and become crappy. I can't do that to you. I have other pieces I need to pull and fix or just remain deleted.**


	11. Evening Outlook

Evening View

{Once more our lovely View}

Ah hummm, my Sprint is wonderful. He let me take him into a world of silliness. But then again, that's part of what I adore about him. I know he was just 'having a moment'. He'll see mine some other day. For that's what happens. It is called life.

Right now, snuggling with him in a pile of blankets on the floor in a spontaneous fit of randiness, oh my! I think I am really going to like this bondhood stuff.

I love it when he strokes my helm-roof racks so slowly. The only thing better is when he trails his thumb up and down my spine feeling every single segment. It's his medical side melding with his mately side feeling me inside and out. He can't use his other hand right now because …. he is just looking too damned- oh Primus- pure MECH!… with that arm bent and wrist tucked behind his nape and relaxed and VIREL!

As for me? I am snuggled into his side, hip hitched high so I can drape my thigh across his pelvis and wrap my foot under his bent knee. Not I'm not tucked this way for the interface equipment, it's because when a mech as heavy as Shockwave flattens you to the ground, it's going to do some damage to my back and hips. My weak point is my lower back, not my repaired knee. Well some days that too, but not as much as my lower back. Hitching my hip and thigh up like this is very comfortable, taking the pressure off. Certainly helps when my head is snuggled against my lover's pectoral chest piece hearing his spark beat only for me.

"How's the back? I'm sorry if I was a bit rough," his voice is so soothing. I can feel his words invisibly sliding down to caress said spot.

Just for that, I lightly nip his chest and snuggle back in, "I won't break, but I do need to learn how to bend more." A mechly chuckle. Oh gosh that feels good to have his chest rumble under my audio.

I pan my hand out against his side and grip that mechly rib and slide down, "Sprint, I know you were hurting but I have to tell you, it was a bit of a turn on to see you rip back and defend yourself."

His hand stills. I feel him freeze. And then tilts his head down. I slide over a bit more and rest my chin on his spark cover looking into those bejeweled optics. He's questioning my sanity. The same look my brother used to give me when we talked about joining the Decepticons.

"Say again?"

Rising up, I straddle his hips, keeping him pinned while I span out across his very mech belly, chest and up across his shoulders, "Sorry, darling, but you are too sexy when you are mad and defending yourself." He closes off the optic, flushes and shakes his helm slowly. So I grasp his chin and lean in, "I like a mech that does not let someone push him around."

"View, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

I tease, "Um, so should I try pissing you off more often just to get this randy side of you to come out and play?" I squiggle my *cough* against his….

His optics pop wide and gape. I know he is once again pondering my sanity. Poking me in the nose he narrows the gaze in soft warning, "Please don't."

I wiggle my brow in a classic further of the tease, and he cants the helm making it clear, he is not amused. So I relax my shoulders and rub his locked spark, letting him know I will never purposely push his hot buttons, "Alright."

"Thank you," he sighs with relief, bringing both hands to my hips. His fingers come to the small of my sore back. Oh Primus his massage,…. my back melts and curves back into his touch.

"Wh-who did you say you were talking to at the hospital?" I try to remain coherent.

"Mm, Shockwave," he focuses on my weak points.

That brings my head up quick and my jaw drops. He giggles, "Yeah I know. Last person I expected to see as well." He continues his massage, until I begin to wilt. Smiling rather pleased with himself, he curls me down and rolls me over. Carefully straddling my hips, but keeping all his weight on his shins & knees not my smaller frame, presses his fingers in.

I tuck my folded arms under my helm and turn so I can look up to him. Damn he looks so good all pleased with himself plying my body to his will. But I have to know…

"So did he tell you anything about how they got together?"

He laughs shaking his head, "That's not something mechs really talk about. Maybe you foofy femmes might, but not mechs."

I scowl at him dissing us femmes. He shrugs rather cheeky, "I'm just saying…"

Oh I hate how he cocks that proud helm of his fluttering his winglets and that firm chest, those horribly talented finger tips of his dip…

"Did you see them dancing?" He nods and melts a little. "And, your thoughts?"

His fingers still. "I had no idea Megatron could dance. It doesn't surprised me that Shockwave can after seeing the way he moves on the field, but with Megatron's bulkier tank form, I just didn't know he had that kind of grace." He presses and rolls, "Shockwave sure looked secured and molded to his frame as they moved. They looked like one in body and step. I wonder just how long they've been bonded, because that sure looked like forever to me."

I can't help but smirk. It's just what I was thinking, too. Femme-talk, ha! Silly mech.

Reading my smirk, he rolls off me and rises. Inching his finger out, he calls me to him. I roll to expose my front, and he takes my outstretched hand. Putting his pede against my own, he pulls me upright. Halfway up, lets go of my hand. I begin fallback in startlement, but his other hand lashes out, cupping my small and hauls me the rest of the way up, slamming into his chest.

Right into his arms. One securely wraps around my waist, the other keeps my offered hand tucked between our sparks with a kiss to the tips.

The mech let me fall, to show me he would never let me crash. Oh Primus! Who knew he had such grace as well? "My mother made sure I could dance. My father made sure she was happy."

With a lean, he moves. With out music, he is showing we are one. The tempo of our sparks the music of our lives. With my hips press against his, we move in unison. His pedes move and mine listen. But I don't watch them. I can only see his optics and soft smile. Securely tight against his frame.

"I have you," he makes it clear. Is it really possible to fall in love over and over again with your mate? Is this a taste of eternity in heaven, for I can live on this fluff.

Dumbly I just nod. I'm too moved. Taking my hand, raises it up and gently spins me. Coming back, he bends me slowly over his arm, and kisses me.

Slowly, gentle of my back, brings me back to his upright frame and beams. "I like their little son, but I want more."

"Uh?" I have no idea what he is referring to.

"View, I want a family with you. I want as many sparklings as you think we can handle."

My pedes stumble and but of course I won't fall this tight against him. "Sprint, our finances. We must consider that." Reality just had to raise her ugly head and threaten our moment. I'm going to kill the bitch!

He beams again not letting Reality blow the moment, "Darling, it won't be a problem."

I narrow my gaze. What kind of a secret is he holding on to now?

"Shockwave slipped me an envelope at the wedding. He said it was our gift but he didn't dare leave it on the gift table. I tucked it into my armor, and then when we got to the car…"

Heh, I giggle remembering how I was digging around in his armor, popping catches and … something had fluttered to the floor but went ignored in lue of better prizes.

"I obviously forgot about it until I caught sight of it in my car after my conversation with Shockwave at the hospital. I took a look at it this afternoon before returning to you." His face beams broad.

I am very curious now. What could our ex-commander and former Warlord give us that would make him beam like that? Tapping the side of his bright yellow helm, he tells me, "I have a helm for more than medicine. I also have my mother's head for finances. Trust me darling, with a couple carefully placed phone calls, you can quit your job right now and prepared the nursery immediately."

My optics go wide, "You're kidding me!"

He shakes his amused helm, "No, dear spark, I'm not. No surprise, but that is quite an investment he gave us. You'll never have to work again."

I leap and wrap my arms and legs around him squealing like we just won the lottery. He hugs me and swings me laughing like a maniac. "I take that as a yes?"

Plunging my mouth over his, I make it clear, I will suck every drop of seed right out of him right now and begin the process. Instead, he kisses me back and brings us back to our comfortable berth. "Soon love, soon…"

~~00~~ Time passes ~~00~~

We were as bad as petro rabbits. But it's hard to resist my mate when he smiles at me as if there wasn't another soul in all the universe. Snuggling on the couch is my haven. Curled in a berth with him asleep at my side, euphoria. I can't think of any words past that… other than… perfect. Most certainly when he strokes our growing bud of love.

Anyway, as soon as it was confirmed I was expecting, Steve pulled me from a truck route. It had nothing to do with policy, it was the fatherly-side of him. So I was stuck riding a desk. I couldn't go home, I would go stir crazy sitting and waiting in anticipation of my new role. Steve laughed and kept me sane by putting me in charge of claims (evil boss) and customs documentation… ugh. Rather go evade the Wreckers again.

As luck would have it, our time came at work. It's been getting harder and harder to sleep at night with that squiggling within my chest. Last night was not different, and awakening feeling utterly crappy… well, I haven't been at work for more than a few moments and Steve makes Musty take me back home. And for once, I'm not going to argue. I'm so tired and uncomfortable to argue.

By the time I get up to our flat, I feel like I've just been through a double gantlet round with Lord Megatron riding my aft. {By the way, that's scary as well as tiring, let me tell you!} My berth never looks so … wonderful. I flop face down and instantly fall asleep.

Shooting pain and wetness awakens me. Shaking I pull my hand out from under my chest. Clear liquid and a knife jab inside my spark. "MUSTY!" I scream in horror.

I roll onto my back and terror rips through my body. What greets me is not my spunky friend, as I expected, but my concerned and supportive mate. Over his shoulder peers the spunky motor car. She beams, "I called him when you crashed out."

He flips to his medic persona, "It's alright. I got you. Now let me look."

"I'm scared, Sprint."

"I know, darling, I know. But I'm here. It's going to be alright."

I'm not scared of the actual birth, I'm scared of the rest of this younglings life. From this point forward, I am no longer me. I am not longer Sprinter's mate. Now, I am a mother. A guardian. Someone responsible and…. it's a huge responsibility. I know I had plenty of time to prepare for this, but now it's really here. I mean, it was always off down the road, sometime in the future. But now it's right here. Right NOW. In a short time, I will have a brand new life depending on me for… everything.

He knows that is my real concern, "View, you aren't going this alone. I'm walking this road with you. Alright?" Numbly I nod while he helps me remove my armor. Musty carries it into the shower, and then returns to do anything Sprinter asks.

We are one of the lucky few who have been granted home-birth permission. Seeing how Sprint is not just a doctor, but an ER doctor and veteran, he got special permission. "Bring me the cot."

Musty quickly wheels our little bassinet over with the still form. It's waiting for it's spark to come to life. Sprinter looks down into my parting chest plates and beams, "Hello our little gift of life. Are you ready? I know it's safe and warm in your mother's chassis, but it's time to face the rest of the world. Come to me."

How can I be in such pain and yet soothed so tenderly?

"Sprinter, are you sure about this? Have you ever delivered before?" Musty is more nervous than me, I think.

He winks to me, we had already discussed this. "Yes Musty, I have. I delivered a few illegal sparklings during the war and then falsified death certificates so mother and sparkling could escape. They did not have it easy out side the protection of our walls, but… if they had been found out, execution for violation for unauthorized birth."

Musty swallows hard. "I'm sorry I asked." She shoots a look to me understanding a bit more why I never spoke of my time during the war.

Seeing how it's going to be a bit longer, until this little one is ready, Sprinter explains, "It was war. Rations were tight. We didn't have the resources to breed…. Successfully. That's why the restriction was set. And because orders are not to be betrayed, punishment was harsher. It was for the good of the whole, but love just doesn't like to be confined. If anything, I felt worse for them being out there in the badlands on their own scavenging for scraps."

I grip his hand tightly. All to easily, it could have been us during that time. Instead… we are here now in peace and if anything, blessed by our Warlord and his mate's perseverance. Sprinter squeezes my hand back understanding.

Medic-Sprinter asks, "Do you want anything for the pain?"

I shake my head, "It's bad, but I can handle this. I've had worse."

"I know you have. It won't be for long. Hang on."

Clamping down on my lip, I draw blood. I can feel my spark clenching down in a contraction. Both me and the sparkling want to separate but are also terrified to let go of all we have known. This new venture is frightening for both the little one and me.

Time passes and each contraction is more intense and more painful. But more of a pressure pain than a sharp pain. Pushing the little one closer and closer to the emerging stage.

"Come on dear-spark. Come to Daddy." Sprint lays the still form beside me and then curls me to my side. Screaming, I can feel my spark being torn. I feels like a claw has clamped onto a piece of my spark and tears it off like it was just some piece of fresh bread at a meal. Someone forgot there are delicate sensory arrays and spark tendrils in there.

My claw clamps onto his door wing and he hisses, but I'm the one to apologies, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

He hisses, "No, keep going, do what you need to. I'm fine. Just go. You have to let go of the sparkling, though."

"I'm…. afraid!" I whimper.

Locking his gaze on mine, he makes it firm, "View, let go. It's alright. She will be fine. I'm right here and Primus is guiding me. I can feel him. Now… let her go."

My whole body deflates at his request and I feel her slide out of my spark's grip, "There's my good femmes," he soothes.

I watch the little glow of new life slip into the still form. Now the true test. A twitch. A blink. A yawn. A shiver. A whimper.

Musty quickly shoves the infant blanket to Sprinter and he scoops up his daughter. Taking her away, he begins his battery of newborn tests. I flop back and try to remember how to breathe and reset my systems to just being me, not a carrier. I feel the hole where my daughter grew. Musty holds my hand tightly just to make sure I'm still with her. I think she might be as relieved as I.

With a soft wet cloth, she blots and cleans my chest. After a few moments, Sprinter brings our daughter back handing her to Musty so he can look my spark over very carefully. "View, it looks good. A clean tear and no infection no bleeding out. It's safer if I just let it heal over naturally." I know he knows me best. Carefully he closes the tender chamber doors and pulls the blankets around us.

With that, settles himself beside me on our berth and tucks our daughter between us. Together. Our new life. My family.

"What's her name?" Moist Musty asks, sniffling back her tears.

"Outlook. She is our new Outlook on life," my beloved snuggles us into his protection.

Musty nods in complete agreement. Our daughter, our greatest gift. "Can I call Steve?"

I nod too tired to lift my head from Sprinter's nice warm chest, "Work?" I ask him about his duties.

"I already dropped them a text. I'm going nowhere for the next two solar cycles. I'm all yours. Both of you."

Mmmm, my body is melting into my new roll with him. I like this.

Sprinter cuddles me, and our daughter looks between us for confirmation as to the dual spark beats beside her. "Hello beautiful."

Her father's lovely green optics, and a hic of a tiny breath. I shoot a warning looks to Sprinter who only gives me an amused huff, "She's fine View. She's just fine. If you want, I'll take you down to the hospital."

I shake my tired head, "Not now, later. I'm… happy here." He does that thing again of caressing my roof racks. And I do that thing I always do, melt and slip away.

This time when I come round, what should I see, but my beloved dancing slowly around the room with our daughter. And there is a knock at the main door. A few moments later a vase of pink and yellow paper flowers is delivered to my bedside. The face that comes out from behind the vase surprises me even more.

"Com-Shockwave?" I must be hallucinating again. I could have sworn I told Sprinter not to give me any pain meds.

The deep chuckling lets me know, he's no hallucination this time. A lilac hand lays on mine with a soft grip only a fellow carrier can understand, "How's the spark?"

"Sore," I croak.

"Hm." He nods in agreement. "Slow breaths until you get all the systems realigned." He gives me a couple more bits of advice until I hold a hand up.

"I'm sorry, but, why are you here?" I hope it comes out amused and not disrespectful.

He looks over to Sprinter for a moment and then back to me, "I was… visiting at the hospital and a fellow doctor told me of your news." He smirks with pride to his old soldier, "Home delivery? Quite the brave one you are."

Sprinter smiles, "She's a runner. You know how sprite they are. It was quick. She never would have made it to the hospital in the first place. Lucky she didn't deliver Outlook at work."

I pisha them both, "We aren't that bad."

"Yes you are," both mechs retort.

To that I gape. Sprinter never warned me of that. Shockwave comes to Sprinter and looks down on Outlook. "She looks healthy. Looks like she won't have any problems." There was something in that line that was meant just between them. Then Shockwave looks directly at Sprinter, "New focus in life. Keep it straight."

Sprinter lowers his focus to his daughter and responds, "Absolutely."

Then my beloved looks straight at me, "I have a perfect View of my future."

**Author's Notes**

Reference : notes NightStalker13's universe.

Second Chance:  literature/?order=9&q=shockwave+megatron+sparkling#/d29h9z5

Ayreon's Birth:

literature/?q=shockwave+megatron+birth#/d2almxi

Newborn Ayreon:

This is our last chapter in the series. A one-shot that WOW blew into 10 ! I have no idea how that happened!

Sorry, digressing... Yes the last line is very corny, but sweet. And Yes I thought of doing an old age death scene (ie: the metaphore of the 'evening of our lives') but I though maybe that horse is a little over done by me.

So, I leave us with a happy view of life ever after. {I made a promise to a friend not to bump them off.}

**** Credits: A lovely picture PrincessPumaRF43v3R {on deviantart} made for me of View and Sprinter art/PC-Headshot-View-and-Sprinter-345320174 View a 2008 Silver Saturn View who works for CyberEx deliveries. Sprinter a 2004 Dodge Sprinter in DHL yellow and red with Mercury wingets who is an ER doctor at Kaon General Hospital

NiGhT-sTaLkEr13 who let me take his cannon universe and offshoot from it. Just a reminder, Shockwave & Megatron's bondhood belongs to him as does cutie Ayreon, Cole and Karmashock.

To my editors and PP buddies Whatayamacholit and NightStalker13, thank you for giving me the shouldernudge to do this series. I can't thank you enough for bucking me up and correcting my tenses and keeping me from beating dead horses.

And to you readers as well. Now it's time I go back to General Ultra Magnus and get him coupled with Marissa Fairborne.


End file.
